New Delhi [India], December 13 (ANI): This year, the Delhi Police IGI Airport Unit broke various fake passport syndicates operating across India. As of now, 19 foreign nationals, including 12 Bangladeshi nationals, and 23 agents, including one Bangladeshi national, have been arrested for flying on fake passports or visas.

According to DCP Airport Usha Rangnani, "Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport Police have successfully dismantled multiple fake passport syndicates operating across India. These criminal networks, often involving foreign nationals from neighbouring countries, exploit India's porous borders to enter the country illegally and fraudulently acquire Indian passports using forged documents."

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A Total of 19 Foreign nationals were arrested including 12 from Bangladesh, 3 each from Myanmar and Nepal and one from Afghanistan. Additionally, 23 Agents were held in fake passport syndicates, including one Bangladesh national & Myanmar national, 9 from Delhi, 4 from Maharashtra and 3 from Uttar Pradesh, and one each from Gujarat, Punjab, Odisha, Rajasthan.

The misuse of Indian passports poses serious challenges to global travel systems and immigration processes. These forged identities not only undermine India's global credibility but may also facilitate crimes such as human trafficking, terrorism, and financial fraud.

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"Through unwavering determination, tireless efforts, and strategic operations, the IGI Airport Police have successfully cracked down on this menace. We have identified and dismantled well-organized networks, arresting dozens of agents and foreign nationals involved in these fraudulent activities, effectively disrupting the operations of these sophisticated syndicates," the Police statement said.

The ramifications of passport fraud extend beyond legal violations, impacting global security and international relations. Fake passport crimes are not merely administrative violations but have far-reaching implications.

IGI Airport Police have been behind multiple significant busts, arresting foreign nationals and agents involved in these criminal activities.

In March, A Bangladeshi national returned from the UAE using a forged Indian passport. Upon sustained interrogation, it was revealed that he had illegally entered India through the Meghalaya border in 2020 and subsequently settled in West Bengal. Further investigation uncovered a well-organized syndicate specializing in fabricating fake Indian identity documents, such as Aadhaar and PAN cards, for Bangladeshi nationals. These fraudulent documents were used to obtain Indian passports under false pretences.

The operation led to the arrest of four agents based in West Bengal who were orchestrating the scheme. Their offices yielded a significant cache of incriminating materials, including 21 fake passports issued under various names, photocopies of passports, blank stamp papers from the West Bengal government and other forged documents. This successful bust not only dismantled the entire syndicate but also dealt a significant blow to the network facilitating such fraudulent activities.

In November, a Bangladeshi national, who had entered India illegally, was intercepted while attempting to travel to Russia using a forged Indian passport. During the investigation, the IGI Airport Police apprehended a key agent from West Bengal, who was directly involved in the creation of fraudulent documents. This agent, along with his associates, was found to have been using fabricated voter IDs and ration cards to secure Indian passports for multiple foreign nationals.

In October 2024, two Bangladeshi nationals were detained at IGI Airport while returning from Hong Kong with forged Indian passports. During the investigation, the accused revealed that they had entered India illegally in 2022 by crossing the Indo-Bangladesh border. Further inquiries uncovered a Maharashtra-based network specializing in fabricating documents, including Aadhaar cards and voter IDs, to enable the issuance of fake passports. As a result, two agents were arrested, and the network was partially dismantled.

In September 2024, a Bangladeshi national was apprehended at IGI Airport upon his return from Istanbul, Turkey, while using a forged Indian passport. During the investigation, he disclosed that he had entered India in 2021 through water routes. A key agent behind the racket, operating out of West Bengal, was subsequently arrested. The case uncovered a significant number of illegal transactions involving fake identity documents being used to produce Indian passports for foreign nationals.

In August 2024, a female Nepalese national was apprehended while attempting to enter India from Hong Kong using a forged Indian passport. The investigation led to the arrest of two Indian agents, operating from Delhi and Rajasthan, who were involved in facilitating the illegal procurement of multiple forged passports by tampering with official records.

In July 2024, IGI Airport Police achieved a breakthrough by busting a syndicate involved in forging Indian passports. A Bangladeshi national, who had illegally entered India in 2022 via a river route, was apprehended while attempting to board a flight to Kuwait via Bahrain using a forged Indian passport. Further investigation led to the arrest of an agent operating in Maharashtra, who was found to be part of a larger network spanning Bangladesh and India, specializing in creating fake Indian documents to produce fraudulent passports.

In June 2024, IGI Airport Police arrested three Bangladeshi nationals attempting to board flights to Bangkok, Thailand, using forged Indian passports. During interrogation, they revealed that they had illegally entered India in 2020 through the Benapole border. Further investigation uncovered a Bangladeshi agent operating in Noida, who was subsequently arrested for forging documents and facilitating fraudulent passports for several Bangladeshi nationals, in collaboration with a Delhi-based accomplice.

In May 2024, three Myanmar nationals were arrested after being deported from Russia for using forged Indian passports. Investigations revealed they had entered India illegally in 2020 through the Agartala border. The group had been using fake Aadhaar cards, voter rolls, and other documents to secure fraudulent passports. The operation led to the arrest of a Myanmar national agent and two Indian agents, who were part of a nexus involved in providing forged Indian documents to foreign nationals.

In April 2024, two Nepalese nationals were apprehended while attempting to board a flight to Cambodia via Bangkok using forged Indian passports. During interrogation, they revealed that they had entered India in 2023 by crossing the India-Nepal border. Further investigation led to the arrest of three Indian agents and uncovered a sophisticated network involving operatives in both Nepal and India. The network was found to be producing fake documents, including forged birth certificates, to facilitate the illegal issuance of Indian passports.

In March 2024, an Afghan national was apprehended while attempting to board a flight to Spain via Finland using a forged Indian passport. The investigation uncovered the involvement of two Indian agents based in Delhi, who were subsequently arrested. These agents were found to have facilitated the illegal procurement of multiple forged passports by tampering with official records.

In February 2024, one Bangladeshi national was detained at IGI Airport while returning from Hong Kong along with a fake Indian passport. On interrogation, he disclosed that in the year 2019, he entered India by crossing the border illegally from Tripura. The investigation led to the uncovering of a significant passport fraud operation in the northern regions of India. One Indian agent was arrested for helping to procure a fake passport by forging birth certificates and other official documents.

These arrests highlight the transnational scope of the racket, with agents from various regions of India and abroad collaborating to facilitate the illegal procurement of Indian passports for foreign nationals. The agents typically create fake Indian documents, such as birth certificates, for foreign nationals. Using these counterfeit documents as a foundation, the agents, in collaboration with their associates, create additional forged Indian documents to give them Indian identities. Further, based on these fake documents, they finally obtain Indian passports for foreign nationals, which enables unauthorized international travel. (ANI)

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