Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai

Mumbai, Sep 16: Mumbai crime branch on Sunday arrested Ajay Shirodkar, director of Goa-based Shirodkar Ocean Employer Pvt Ltd, for allegedly running an international human trafficking racket while attempting to board a Bangkok-bound flight.

Immigration officials at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport intercepted Shirodkar on the basis of a lookout notice issued by FRRO Chennai. Police recovered seven mobile phones, several SIM cards, forged ship-joining letters, e-migration documents and other suspicious files from him.

Investigators said Shirodkar fabricated fake seafarer documents and charged aspirants Rs 1–5 lakh, promising them jobs on ships abroad. Instead, he allegedly sent them illegally to the UK and US with the help of associates in Punjab, Haryana, Mexico and the US, routing payments through hawala networks and maintaining links with some immigration staff.

During questioning, Shirodkar reportedly admitted to cheating at least six people, including Goa resident Kartik Naik. Files on his laptop allegedly contained forged certificates prepared for multiple clients.

Produced before a Mumbai court, he was remanded to judicial custody. Goa police are expected to seek his custody, as he faces multiple similar cases—two in Goa, one in Karnataka and one in Uttar Pradesh. Investigators suspect dozens of Indians may have been trafficked abroad under the guise of seafarer recruitment, with many later deported by foreign authorities.