Mumbai Crime: Cops bust fake passports for Bangladeshis racket

The arrested Bangadeshis with the police team

The Mumbai police have busted a huge racket wherein Bangladeshis were illegally made Indian nationals by charging huge amounts so that they would have better prospects to secure employment in foreign countries. The police said that the accused would promise Bangladeshis an Indian passport by charging them lakhs.

They would also make arrangements for their accommodation during initial visits and help them secure small-time jobs abroad. After a few months of stay in India, they would be sent for jobs to Gulf countries once their bogus documents were ready. According to the police, the accused claimed that Indian labourers have better prospects abroad as compared to Bangladeshis and Pakistanis.

Cops with the items seized from the accused

So far, the cops have arrested 17 Bangladeshi nationals has seized their illegally obtained Indian passports along with their bogus Aadhar cards, PAN cards, birth certificates and election voter ID cards.

On Thursday, the police acted on a tip-off and took three men into custody from L T Road in Borivali West. Suman Sardar, Omar Mullah and Salman Khan are Bangladeshi nationals who were living in India with fake documentation. The police said that Khan was an agent and had helped Bangladeshi nationals enter India illegally, besides preparing fake documents.

Based on information provided by Sardar and Khan, the police arrested four more Bangladeshis from Nalasopara and 10 from Virar. They were all booked under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Foreigners Act. Sources said the Borivli police had exposed a fake Aadhaar card-making racket in June. While interrogating the arrested accused, they unearthed another racket wherein bogus Indian documents were being made for Bangladeshi nationals, which was busted on Thursday.

Phones and cash along with fake passports, ID cards and documents that were seized

During interrogation, Khan admitted to being a Bangladeshi national who was acting as an agent after entering India illegally. He also admitted to residing in Mumbai and being the mastermind who got 16 Bangladeshis into India.

Khan would charge Rs 2,00,000 per person to make their Indian passport and other documents like Aadhar card, PAN card, birth certificate, election card and visa. He also facilitated their stay in Mumbai and other cities. Once their documents and passports were ready, they were sent abroad with help of other agents.

"We received a tip-off, laid a trap at L T Road in Borivali and caught the three accused - Suman Sardar, Omar Mullah and Salman Khan. Under the guidance of DCP Ajaykumar Bansal (Zone 11) and Senior Inspector Ninad Sawant, the Borivali anti-terrorism cell (ATC) staff raided the Nalasopara-Virar area. We have recovered 17 Indian passports and other government documents. While checking the passports, we also found that two people were preparing to go to Kuwait and their passports had been stamped. The others were waiting for their visas," said an officer.

17
No. of Bangladeshis arrested

Rs 2lakh
Amount charged for the illegal service

The Aadhaar racket

Interestingly, the fake Aadhar card-making racket busted in June was being carried out inside a government bank in Borivali. When the cops were informed, an officer made an Aadhar card for his son through an agent, after which a raid was carried out and three accused nabbed. Their interrogation revealed that they had made such Aadhar cards of many Bangladeshis. Investigations began and the cops checked details of every bogus Aadhaar card made, which led to the passport racket. The documents used for these passports were made outside Mumbai.