Navy fully cooperating with law enforcement, it says

Representative photo/file

After the arrest of an officer of the rank of lieutenant commander by Mumbai Crime Branch Over its alleged involvement in a human trafficking case in South Korea, the Indian Navy on Saturday said it would fully cooperate with law enforcement agencies, PTI reported.

The official was arrested for his alleged involvement in human trafficking to South Korea based on fake documents, according to PTI.

The Navy remains committed to holding its personnel to the highest standards of conduct at all times, a defence spokesperson said, according to PTI.

Lieutenant Commander Vipin Kumar Dagar (28) was arrested from Colaba in south Mumbai on Thursday for allegedly being part of a gang that sent people to South Korea with fake documents for money .

According to police, Dagar's associates had confessed to sending 8-10 people to the East Asian country in this manner and had charged Rs 10 lakh per case.

In a statement, the defense spokesperson said, “A complaint of officer misconduct was received by the Navy from the Republic of Korea (RoK) Consulate in Mumbai. After an investigation by the navy, it was found that the case had possible links to a fraudulent visa trafficking gang,” the news agency reported on Saturday.

“Therefore, Indian Navy “The Navy has informed the Civil Police of its concerns and the information held, which has launched a detailed investigation. The Navy is fully cooperating with law enforcement agencies and remains committed to holding its personnel to the highest standards of conduct at all times,” the spokesperson added, according to PTI.

Police said Dagar, who resides in Haryana and is the son of an Air Force personnel, has been remanded to police custody till July 5.

According to the crime branch, the accused lieutenant was involved in the racket for a year and a half and allegedly sent several applicants to South Korea, where they sought asylum. So far, authorities have identified five such candidates. “There are 6 to 7 people involved in the racket. The Indian Navy lieutenant used his position to go to the embassy, ​​pose as a naval officer to make a good impression and obtain visas for the applicants, thereby abusing his position to facilitate the trafficking operation of human beings for financial gain,” said an officer.

(with PTI inputs)