J-K: Fake recruitment scam busted in Kupwara, 5 arrested

Kupwara: With the arrest of five people, police claimed to have busted a fake recruitment scam in the military engineering service in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district.

As per a statement, the gang duped approximately 8 innocent unemployed youths hailing from North Kashmir to the tune of Rs 25 lakhs
"Substantial evidence, including counterfeit appointment letters, gate passes, laptops, desktops, printers, and cellphones, have been seized from the possession of the accused," read Kupwara Police statement.

Police said they are expecting more arrests in connection with the case.
"Further investigation is on," added the statement.

Kupwara Police in a statement issued on Tuesday said that on September 1, a complainant alleged that his son had fallen victim to a recruitment scam orchestrated by a person identified as Nazir Ahmad Khan, a resident of Doolipora Trehgam.

The complainant further alleged that his son had been swindled of Rs 70,000 under the false pretence of securing employment within the Military Engineering Service (MES), accompanied by a counterfeit appointment letter, as per the statement.

Police registered a First Information Report based on the complaint and launched an investigation. 
During the investigation, statements from key witnesses were recorded, and counterfeit appointment letters were seized as evidence.

"Nazir Ahmad Khan was subsequently apprehended in connection with the scam. Further revelations unfolded as the accused disclosed his affiliation with a group of scammers employing a distinctive modus operandi to defraud unemployed youths eagerly seeking positions within MES. Additionally, he divulged the identities of his four collaborators as Zahoor Ahmad Mir, resident of Rawathpora, Shakeel Ahmad Makroo, resident of Awantipora, Feroz Ahmad Khashu, resident of Shaltang, Srinagar and Shafkat Ahmad Shah, resident of Pampore, Pulwama," the statement further stated.
A special police team apprehended all four individuals. "Notably, Shakeel Ahmad Makroo emerged as the mastermind, operating under the alias "Raju," presenting himself as an influential Kashmiri Pandit and an MES officer stationed at Rangreth Srinagar".

"He enlisted the assistance of Mir, Khashu, and  Khan as field agents, entrusted with the task of extracting money from unsuspecting job seekers, promising them MES positions. Shah, the technical expert of the operation, was responsible for fabricating and printing counterfeit appointment letters and other documentation. He operated from the "Helpline advertising agency" in Rangreth Srinagar, where he manufactured these fraudulent documents," the police statement added.