ATS busts fake documents racket involving Bangaldeshi immigrants

ATS officers with the alleged accused outside Esplanade court at Azad Maidan on Monday. Pic/Suresh Karkera

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad claims to have busted a massive fake documents racket involving illegal Bangaldeshi immigrants as well as Indian nationals. The officers said 466 passports were made using fraudulent documents. Sources said officers of police stations where the verifications for the passports happened are also being investigated.

The ATS has arrested eight accused, including four Bangladeshi nationals. The racket was busted after they received a tip-off about one Bangladeshi immigrant, Akram Khan, in the city who was allegedly involved in making and supplying fake Indian identity cards to other Bangladeshi immigrants. The officers nabbed him from Sewri after which he identified himself as Akram Noor Nabi Ollauddin Shaikh, 28, from Novokhali, Bangladesh. He told officers he had travelled to India without any valid documents.

Akram gave two names to the - Noornabi from Wadala and Rafiq Rehmatullah Sayyed, 42, from Kausa in Mumbra who he said had helped him procure Aadhaar and PAN cards. Rafiq made fake documents like Aadhaar, PAN cards, birth certificate, leaving certificate, ration card, bank passbook and helped in making passports, officers said. Since 2013, Rafiq has helped 466 people, including 85 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, procure passports.

Idris Mohammad Shaikh, 57, from Kausa Avin Gangaram Kedare, 35, from Antop Hill and Nitin Rajaram Nikam, 43, from Taloja are others arrested for involvement in making fake documents. The ATS also nabbed three Bangaldeshi immigrants -- Mohammed Soahil Abdul Subhan Shaikh, 33, Abdul Khair Samsulhaq , 42, Abul Hasham alias Abul Kasham Shaikh, 26. ATS officers claimed they are investigating over 4,500 documents.

The arrests were made following investigation from November 29 to December 10, during which they seized multiple fake documents, printers, fake stamps, Indian and Bangaldeshi currency. The court on Monday sent all the eight accused to judicial custody. Senior ATS officers Additional Director General of Police Jai Jeet Singh and Deputy Inspector General of Police Shivdeep Lande didn't respond to mid-day's messages and calls for comment.

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