Illegal migration racket: Jacob Martin arrested

NEW DELHI: Former Indian cricketer Jacob Martin, a native of Gujarat, was arrested here Wednesday on charges of running an illegal immigration racket, police said.

The cricketer, an Indian Railways batsman who had played 10 one-day internationals for India, was arrested from the trans-Yamuna area of Delhi, Deputy Commissioner of Police R.A. Sanjeev told IANS.

He was allegedly involved in an illegal emigration racket which came to light after a man carrying a fake passport revealed that Martin, along with one Rajender Bhiku Bhai Patel and Janak Lal Bhogi Raj Pancholi, arranged a journey to Britain in 2004 for Rs.7 lakh, police said.

"He was arrested from trans-Yamuna Wednesday morning after we got a tip off," Sanjeev said. "He will be produced at the Dwarka court and police will seek his remand," he said.

Earlier, his anticipatory bail plea was rejected by the Supreme court and a reward of Rs.25,000 announced by Delhi police for a tip-off on his whereabouts.

Martin, a native of Gujarat, had allegedly taken a group of young cricketers to England in 2004 and facilitated the "illegal stay" of one of them on the basis of forged documents. The man, Nilesh Patel, who was later deported to India by the British authorities, also alleged that Martin was the main beneficiary of the racket.



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