A man accused of carrying out a large-scale visa fraud by promising overseas jobs has been arrested by Idukki police with the help of local residents on Thursday. The accused has been identified as Roy Joseph (44), a native of Payyappady in Kottayam district.

According to police, the accused allegedly cheated several people by offering visas for jobs such as bakery work, packing and driving in the European country of Luxembourg. He reportedly demanded ₹25 lakh for arranging the visa. Victims were asked to pay ₹10 lakh as an advance, ₹13 lakh after completion of procedures, and the remaining ₹2 lakh before leaving for the foreign country.

Police said the accused also issued notarised receipts while collecting the money and required job seekers to provide a cheque worth ₹13 lakh as part of the arrangement.

Arrested while arriving to collect money
Roy Joseph had allegedly collected ₹87 lakh from around ten people in Maniyaran Kudy in Idukki. Investigators said he first approached two youngsters in the area and offered them free visas, later using them as intermediaries to collect money from others. Many victims reportedly arranged the money by mortgaging their homes and land or by selling gold.

When the promised visa process was repeatedly delayed, the victims formed a WhatsApp group and began communicating with each other. They later learned that the accused would arrive at a lawyer's office in Cheruthoni on Thursday to collect money from ten more people.

Residents waited at different locations in the town and confronted him when he reached the lawyer's office around 11 am. They detained him and later spoke to his three wives. When he requested one month's time to return the money, tensions escalated.

Meanwhile, his wife, residing in Delhi, reportedly contacted the police and informed them that her husband was being held by a group of people. Acting on the instructions of the district police chief, officers reached the spot and took the accused into custody.

Police said Roy had arrived in Cheruthoni to collect ₹10 lakh each from ten more people, but the timely intervention of the victims prevented further fraud.

Investigators suspect that Roy may be part of a larger visa fraud network. He had reportedly told victims that he operated offices in Punjab and Delhi. Police also suspect he may have carried out similar frauds in areas including Maniyaran Kudy, Kattappana, Upputhara, Kottayam, Malappuram and other parts of Malabar.

Officials said the full extent of the fraud will be known only after detailed interrogation.