Mumbai: The Mumbai police have successfully dismantled a large-scale racket involved in facilitating illegal Indian citizenship for Bangladeshis in exchange for substantial sums of money. The fraudulent operation promised these individuals Indian passports by charging them hefty fees, offering them the prospect of enhanced employment opportunities in foreign countries. The accused not only provided these forged passports but also arranged temporary accommodations for the Bangladeshis during their initial visits and helped them secure menial jobs abroad. After several months of residence in India, the illegal passport holders were dispatched to Gulf countries for employment using counterfeit documents.
The fraudulent operation was built on the notion that Indian laborers had superior employment prospects abroad when compared to Bangladeshi and Pakistani nationals. To date, the police have apprehended 17 Bangladeshi individuals and seized their unlawfully obtained Indian passports, along with counterfeit Aadhar cards, PAN cards, birth certificates, and election voter ID cards.
The investigation commenced following a tip-off, leading to the arrest of three Bangladeshi nationals – Suman Sardar, Omar Mullah, and Salman Khan – in Borivali West on Thursday. Salman Khan was identified as an agent who played a pivotal role in facilitating the illegal entry of Bangladeshi nationals into India while preparing counterfeit documentation for them.
Following the information provided by Sardar and Khan, the police detained an additional four Bangladeshi individuals from Nalasopara and ten more from Virar. All of them have been charged under the relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Foreigners Act.
Sources indicate that the Borivli police had previously exposed a fake Aadhaar card-making racket in June. Subsequently, during the interrogation of the arrested individuals, a broader network was discovered, revealing a parallel operation involved in forging Indian documents for Bangladeshi nationals. This elaborate and unlawful enterprise was successfully dismantled by the Mumbai police, shedding light on the extent of the illicit activities conducted to provide counterfeit documentation for foreign nationals.
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