New Delhi, Dec 13 (PTI) Delhi Police on Friday said it busted multiple transnational fake passport rackets and arrested 42 people, including 13 Bangladeshi nationals, this year, an officer said.

Of the total arrests, 23 people were found to be operating as agents, while the others as passengers.

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Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI) Usha Rangnani said the syndicates, often involving foreign nationals from neighbouring countries, exploited India's porous borders to enter the country and acquire Indian passports using forged documents.

She said of all those arrested, 13 were from Bangladesh, four from Myanmar, three from Nepal and one from Afghanistan. All of them illegally entered India through various borders and obtained Indian documents to facilitate unauthorised international travel.

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Of the rest, nine were from West Bengal, four from Delhi, three from Maharashtra and one each from Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Odisha, and Rajasthan.

"The rackets typically start by forging Indian documents, such as birth certificates, for foreign nationals. These serve as the foundation for creating additional forged documents, eventually leading to the illegal issuance of Indian passports.

"This meticulous process is carried out by networks operating across multiple states, including West Bengal, Maharashtra, and Delhi," the DCP said.

Another officer said, for instance, in March, a Bangladeshi national returning from the UAE was found with a forged Indian passport.

Investigations unearthed a syndicate manufacturing fake Indian documents for Bangladeshi nationals. Four agents were arrested, and 21 fake passports were recovered in that case.

In October, two Bangladeshi nationals returning from Hong Kong with fake passports exposed a Maharashtra-based document fabrication network. Two agents were arrested in that case.

Similarly, in July, another Bangladeshi national using a forged passport to travel to Kuwait was apprehended. The operation led to the arrest of a Maharashtra-based agent, the officer said.

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