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Cross-border fake passport racket busted by IGI airport police

A case under several sections of IPC and Foreigners Act has been registered

racket-delhi-sourced IGI police team, led by DCP Vikram Porwal, with the accused | Sourced image

In a major operation, the Indira Gandhi International airport police has busted a cross-border racket involving Bangladeshi nationals, and arrested six accused who were preparing forged Indian passports and immigration stamps.

What is worrisome for the security agencies is that the racket involving foreign nationals had its tentacles spread across the national capital and other states like West Bengal and across the border.

The accused identified persons from Nepal and Bangladesh who were keen to go to foreign countries, and call them to India on medical visa. They then arranged fake documents by fraudulently obtaining Indian passports for them with help of other co-agents in lieu of large amounts of money. Several immigration stamps were used to create fake travel history.

 The case highlights the persistent threat by fake travel agencies, a grim reminder of the modus operandi used by 26/11 accused David Headley and his accomplice Tahawwur Rana during the Mumbai attacks.

A case under several sections of IPC and Foreigners Act has been registered and the IGI police is alert to the possibility of a much larger ring operating in the capital.

The six arrested include Bangladeshi nationals Fozil Rabbi Shipon, 22; Akhtauzzaman Talukder, 54; and Sahidul Sekh; and Indian nationals Vibhor Saini and Fahim Khan from Delhi, and Saurabh Ghosh from West Bengal.

Vikram Porwal, DCP, IGI airport, said the racket was exposed on September 11, when amid tight vigil at the airport, a passenger Sahidul Sekh and two others were intercepted by the CISF when they were intending to board Qatar Airways flight to Doha. On checking their documents, they were found to be fake and a case was registered by the IGI police.

During interrogation, the accused revealed that they met the mastermind, Talukder, who was posing as a travel agent in Delhi, and arranged their journey to Serbia for Rs 2,00,000 and Rs 2,50,000. He also arranged another passport in the name of Salam Sardar. Further, a raid was conducted at Talukder’s address at Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi and 27 passports, including 10 Indian, two Nepali and 15 Bangladeshi were recovered. Talukder has a Bangaldeshi identity but posed as an Indian national. He had a fake Indian passport and also ran an export-import and construction company in the capital.

Porwal, who recently took charge of IGI police, said the gang had procured fake visas of various countries besides fake immigration and visa stamps of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Bangladesh.

Raids have been conducted at several places across Delhi by teams of the IGI police. Three more accused were arrested. Porwal said searches are on in Delhi and other cities and further investigation is underway.

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