Bengaluru: The Bengaluru Police on Monday busted a syndicate, which had illegally sent at least 32 children to the United States over the last few years by create fake ‘parents’ for the children to prepare their passports and Visa.

A total of 16 involved in the racket have been nabbed. The police have decided to contact the US Consulate in Chennai and the officials in the US to trace out the 32 children.

Uday Pratap Singh (44), a resident of Jayamahal, is suspected to be the kingpin of the racket. More arrests are expected shortly in Bengaluru and elsewhere across the country.

Though the exact motive of the syndicate is still not clear, preliminary inquiry has indicated that the arrested and their absconding associates collected hefty sums from Indians illegally over-staying in the US and translocated their children living in India to the US.

The syndicate charged Rs 25 lakh to send one child to the US. The police are verifying bank details to unearth more information. People from Gujarat and Punjab overstaying in the US are said to have paid the syndicate to get their children over, reports Deccan Herald.

The police are also probing into possible cases of illegal adoption.