The Delhi police have possibly averted another  Malta or a New Zealand where Indian labourers, who went abroad on fake documents,  and drowned or went missing.

The cops have arrested a Nepalese agent who duped 19 labourers from Uttar Pradesh of over Rs 16 lakhs by promising them to send abroad on fake documents.

Manrath Pundel was operating from Delhi and was working with Naveen, the kingpin of the racket, who lives in Inderlok, a police officer said.

"Around one year ago, Manrath visited Gorakhpur and approached these labourers through a local agent. He promised them jobs in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and asked them to pay Rs 85,000 each," a senior official said.

For one year he kept taking money from them on different occasions. "Few months ago, Pundel again asked all of them to give Rs 5,000 for completing some documents, which they paid. However, he was evading them again. On July 12, a few labourers reached Delhi to enquire about Pundel. They met him outside Palika Bazar and had an altercation," said a police official.

"We got a call and on interrogation the racket was exposed. Later, the labourers lodged a formal complaint with the police. Cases under Sections 420 and 120 B of the Indian Penal Code have been registered against Pundel. We also recovered 12 passports from his possession. He has been sent to the Tihar," a police officer said.

"It could be a bigger racket and others may also be involved. Navin and the local agent are also being traced," said the official.

"It is good, Pundel was nabbed otherwise he would have send them abroad, and who knows what would have happened. It is better to go through a proper agent," said a police officer.