Two Air India staff arrested for human trafficking

Two Air India employees have been arrested after the vigilance department of the airline found they were allegedly involved in human trafficking and transported two women to the US showing them as their wives.

Deepak Salvi, a office superintendent, and Hemant Morade, an operator, were arrested for allegedly illegally transporting two women posing as their wives to the US and returning alone, police said.

Another accused Ejaz Ansari, a resident of Nagpada in south Mumbai, was arrested today for allegedly assisting in transporting the women.

The two airline employees had used free tickets entitled to employees' relatives to transport the women, police said.

Salvi had travelled to the US in September 2007 and Morade in April 2008 with women who posed as their wives but returned alone, prompting the vigilance department of the Air India to make inquiries, they said.

Air India officials, after confirming that the women were not the employees real wives, informed the US Consulate and sought additional information in December 2008.

US authorities confirmed the women were impostors and had travelled on fake passports to New York.