Hyderabad: RGI Airport police booked 20 women from Andhra Pradesh for trying to board a Muscat-bound flight with tampered visas to evade mandatory Protector of Emigrants (PoE) clearance needed for Emigration Check Required (ECR) passport holders.The 20 women passengers, who were in their 20s and 30s, arrived for an immigration check at the RGI Airport early on Wednesday to board a Muscat-bound Oman Air flight (WY-236). Their destination was Kuwait, and they were travelling via Muscat.The immigration officials asked them their purpose of the visit to Kuwait, and some of them said it was for work. “As their passports are of ECR category, immigration officials asked for PoE clearance. None of the women had PoE clearance, and their work visas were tampered as visit visas,” said an RGI Airport official.Immigration officials immediately detained the 20 women, who were from erstwhile East Godavari, West Godavari and Kadapa districts of Andhra Pradesh. They were handed over to RGI Airport Outpost police for further investigation.During the questioning, the 20 women told police that they were approached for domestic help and other works in Kuwait by 19 sub-agents. The sub-agents took their passports and returned them with visas and flight tickets. “The agents get paid by the employers once the women report for work in Kuwait. We have booked a case under the Passport and Emigration Acts against the 20 women and the unknown agents. The women were issued notices as per law,” RGI Airport SI K Harika said.
