Illegal Bangladeshi immigration racket busted; Mumbra-based agent among 8 arrested

The agent allegedly made fake passports for 85 Bangladesh nationals and facilitated their stay in the country

The Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the Maharashtra Police has busted a Bangladeshi illegal immigration racket and arrested eight people including four Bangladeshi nationals. The ATS managed to arrest a Mumbra-based agent who allegedly made fake passports for 85 Bangladesh nationals and facilitated their stay in the country.

Representational Image.

According to the ATS, Kalachowki unit officers received information about a Bangladeshi national, Akram Khan, staying in Mumbai as an illegal immigrant. Khan was allegedly also involved in preparing and supplying fake Indian identity cards to other Bangladeshi immigrants.

Subsequently, he was caught in Sewree, Mumbai, last month. His interrogation revealed that his real name was Akram Noor Nabi Ollauddin Shaikh, and he was a resident of Novokhali, a district of Bangladesh. He had travelled to India without any valid documents, an ATS officer said.

Further probe revealed that a Wadala man, Noornabi, and Mumbra man Rafiq Shaikh, had helped him in getting documents like a forged Aadhar card, a PAN card and an Indian passport in his name.

Further operation led to the arrest of Kausa-Mumbra resident Mohd. Rafiq Rehmatulla Sayyad whose custodial interrogation revealed that as an agent, he was allegedly preparing counterfeit passports since 2013 and done so for many illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.

“A scrutiny of records revealed that Sayyad has been involved in providing at least 85 fake Indian identity cards and passports to illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. He used forged documents such as PAN card, Aadhar card, election card, ration card, electric bill, rent agreements, school leaving certificate, birth certificate, bank passbooks which are requisite for processing a passport,” an statement released by ATS deputy commissioner of police Rajkumar Shinde stated on Monday.

Sayyad’s interrogation led ATS to one ldris Mohammad Shaikh, 57, again a resident of Kausa-Mumbra, who was involved in preparing forged school leaving certificates and birth certificates.

The ATS later arrested an Antop Hill resident, Avin Gangaram Kedare, 35, who helped ldris in preparing fake rubber stamps for forged documents. One Nitin Rajaram Nikam, 43, a Taloja, Navi Mumbai, resident was also caught for providing fake bank passbooks and election cards for the illegal work, another officer said.

The ATS further arrested Akram Noornabi Ollauddin Khan, Mohd. Soahil Abdul Subhan Shaikh, 33, Abdul Khair Samsulhaq, 42, and Abul Hasham alias Abul Kasham Shaikh, 26, for allegedly entering India and residing here without valid documents for their stay.

Many forged Indian identity cards and passport have been seized from their possession, the ATS said. Investigation has revealed that Md. Rafiq, Mohd. Idris, Avin Kedare, Nitin Nikam and others had helped at least 85 Bangladeshi immigrants in preparing fake Indian Passports, ATS stated.

They all have been booked under relevant Sections of the Indian Penal Code, Passport Act (Entry into India), Foreigners Act and Criminal procedure code.