CIU busts fake certificate racket, arrests four

Four people have been arrested for running a fake education certificate racket in Mumbai. The group allegedly prepared counterfeit certificates for SSC and HSC exams and experience certificates for private firms. The police uncovered the operation after receiving information that the group was charging between INR4,000 and INR5,000 for each certificate and launched an investigation. The accused were found to have used Photoshop to alter genuine certificates. Many individuals who had not passed exams were believed to have used the fraudulent certificates to gain employment abroad.

MUMBAI: The Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) of the crime branch has busted a fake education certificate racket and arrested four persons in Chembur.

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The arrested accused have been identified as Salman Salauddin Khan, Mohammad Nadeem Shaikh, Mohammad Murtaza and Danish Khan, all residents of Vashi Naka in Chembur.

The police said the accused prepared certificates of SSC and HSC examinations, and experience certificates of several private firms. They ran a photocopy centre, where they used to make the fake certificates.

The racket came to light after a police officer received credible information that the accused were providing fake certificates and marksheet of SSC and HSC and charged from ₹ 4,000 to ₹5,000 for each certificate.

After verifying the facts, the police launched an investigation. On Tuesday, they sent a dummy customer in requirement of marksheets and experience certificates. The accused provided the certificates and demanded ₹5,000 for each document, a police officer said.

The seized certificates appeared genuine, but after verification it was found that the accused had changed the name of the person using photoshop on the computer. “During investigation, we learnt that several people who have not cleared SSC and HSC examinations, have gone abroad, especially to Gulf countries where they required basic educational qualification and experience certificates as well. Several such candidates used to approach the accused,” a police officer said.

The accused were produced in the court and remanded in police custody till April 18.