US visa frauds arrested

Accra, Oct. 21, GNA - The newly created Visa Fraud Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, on Thursday announced that it had arrested a number of Ghanaians at the Consular Section of the US Embassy for submitting forged documents to support their applications for US visas.

A statement issued by the Public Affairs Section of the US Embassy said the arrests were made with information provided by the US Embassy. It said on Monday, October 19, this year, the team arrested 10 visa applicants for submitting forged documents including fake bank statements, tax clearance and birth certificates.

Six others were arrested on Tuesday, October 20, for similar offences. A number of those arrested were part of organised groups that were seeking visas to travel to the US.

The statement said the Visa Fraud Unit of the CID "is processing the cases of those arrested and will send those charged to court as soon as investigations are completed."

The statement, which did not give the names of those arrested said the police had granted them bail.

The US Embassy advised prospective US visa applicants that the use of fraudulent documents in support of a visa application could result in permanent ineligibility for a US visa and might also lead to arrest by the Visa Fraud Unit of the CID.

It said applicants who were arrested for forgery or other crimes relating to visa fraud would be charged under Ghanaian law.