In Punjab, the harrowing experiences of the recent US deportees of how many of them were duped by unscrupulous travel agents to reach green pastures abroad have activated the government to take action.
Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner Dr Himanshu Aggarwal has issued notices to 271 travel agents of the district who have not renewed their travel agency licenses even after their expiry.
He said this measure aims to prevent unauthorized travel agents from defrauding people under the pretence of sending them abroad and curb human trafficking.
He has also directed the police department to ensure that whenever a case is registered against any travel agent in the district, the Deputy Commissioner’s office must be immediately informed.
Meanwhile, a total of 15 First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered against the travel agents by the state police on the complaints of recent deportees from the US.