4 of gang arrested for making fake e-passes

Officers from crime branch’s unit 3 on Friday busted a gang and arrested its four members for making fake e-passes and medical certificates to travel within the

Officers from crime branch’s unit 3 on Friday busted a gang and arrested its four members for making fake e-passes and medical certificates to travel within the state from Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) during the lockdown.

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According to the police, the accused would charge ₹3,000 for a fake pass or medical certificate, which is mandatory for every citizen for travel to another other city or state during the lockdown.

The accused have been identified as Sindhudurg resident Abdul Karim Mohammad Shaikh alias Aslam, 35; Girgaum residents Samir Shamsuddin Shaikh, 36; and Noor Mohammad Abdul Gani Shaikh, 39; and Vasai resident Vinay Mohan Pate, 36. Shaikh, Samir and Noor run a travel company in Mumbai, while Pate runs a computer class in Vasai.

The police received a tip-off about a gang which had been duping citizens who had to travel to other districts in the state from MMR. During inquiry, the police discovered that the accused were operational from Malvan and would send the e-passes from there to citizens on WhatsApp or email. The numbers of their mobile phones were registered on Delhi addresses.

“Based on the tip-off, an officer approached Shaikh posing as a customer and asked for a police e-pass to travel to Satara from Mumbai. The documents were sent on WhatsApp,” said senior inspector Ashok Khot of unit 3.

After receiving the pass, a police team visited Malvan and arrested the Shaikh Samir and Noor from there, while Pate was arrested from his home in Vasai.

The police also seized the laptop, mobile phones and several fake e-passes from the accused.

“It appears that someone in authority may have also helped the gang. We are probing further,” said police inspector Nitin Patil.

The four were produced in a local court and remanded in police custody till Monday.