LAGOS — The Special Fraud Unit, Milverton, Ikoyi, Lagos, has arrested two directors of a travel agency located in Tafawa Balewa Square and an insurance staff, who allegedly specialised in procuring fake Denmark and Germany health insurance certificates and other vital travel documents for unsuspecting members of the public.
Recovered from the suspects were 26 international passports belonging to prospective travellers who already booked appointments or paid visa fees to embassies.
The prime suspect identified as Michael Adeoye,
was said to have been issuing health insurance certificate belonging to Elvia and Asa Health Insurance companies based in Denmark and Germany respectively to prospective travellers to Europe.
But the bubble burst after SFU, according to its spokesperson, Ngozi Nsintume-Agu, received a petition from the Deputy Consular-General /Head of Visa Operation, Italian embassy, on the presentation of the fake insurance certificates by some Nigerians applying for Italian visa.
“In the course of investigation, it was discovered that Michael Adeoye, a 38-year-old man from Otun-Ekiti, Ekiti State, who works at Nuyork Network Services, TBS, is the mastermind of the crime,” Insintume-Agu said.
When approached, Adeoye did not deny the allegation. He told Vanguard that he started the illicit act last year after the health insurance certificate was listed as one of the mandatory documents for travellers.
According to him, “the document was usually downloaded from the company’s website from where I fill the client’s information before submitting on line without paying to the companies in question.
“The cost for procuring the certificate online is 17 Euros but I charge my clients 47 Euros, equivalent of N10,000.”
On how this was possible, he said: “The procedure is called ‘book and cancel.’ All I do is to apply online and the company will release a document where they would ask the number of months you want to apply for.
“The ranges are three months, six months or one year insurance. After submitting the form, they would give me a policy number. I would then print it and give to my client who immediately takes it to the embassy.
“But few days later, I will go back online to cancel it. That way, I do not need to pay the company in question. But by then, my client would have been granted visa at the embassy.”
The clients, he said, were usually brought by one of his alleged accomplices, Mrs Ody Chidebe, an Insurance staff who thereafter, gives to the prospective traveller for N7000.
But Mrs Chidebe claimed she never knew the certificate was fake, adding: “Had I known I would never have gone into business with Adeoye. I though what he collected from me was used for the online payment.”
But the third suspect, Moradeyo Olalekan, claimed to be oblivious of his partner’s illicit business.
The suspect according to Nsitelu-Agu, would be charged to court soon.
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