Mumbai, March 25 (IANS) A Bangladeshi national attempting to travel to Congo using a fake Indian passport was apprehended at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, officials said on Wednesday.

A larger network of forged documents during immigration checks, they said.

According to officials, the incident came to light after immigration scrutiny revealed discrepancies in the documents presented by the accused, leading to the recovery of multiple forged identification papers.

The Sahar Police said it has launched a detailed probe into the case.

“Thanks to the vigilance of immigration officials at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, a major fraud scheme has been exposed. The Sahar Police have arrested a Bangladeshi national who was attempting to flee abroad using a forged Indian passport,” an official statement said.

Police said the incident occurred at around 4:15 a.m. when immigration officer Ganesh Gawli was on duty, and a passenger approached the counter for verification. Although the documents initially appeared to be in order, closer inspection raised suspicion.

The passenger had presented an Indian passport mentioning an address in Kolkata, but officials noticed that the mobile number provided carried a Bangladeshi country code.

This inconsistency prompted further questioning, and he was escorted to senior officers for detailed interrogation.

During sustained questioning, the accused disclosed his real identity as Sukanta Mallick, aged 39, a resident of Gopalganj district in Bangladesh. He admitted that he had entered India illegally in 2012.

The accused further revealed that he had managed to obtain an Indian passport in 2022 using forged documents.

Investigators also found that he had fraudulently acquired other identification documents, including a PAN card, a Voter ID and a Ration Card.

Officials said that the accused was scheduled to board a flight from Mumbai to Congo, identified as Dar City, on flight number TC-401, with the intention of settling abroad using his fake Indian identity.

Immigration authorities recovered several documents from his possession, including the fake Indian documents, a Bangladeshi birth certificate, his mother’s passport, and a mobile phone.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the accused may not have acted alone, with officials suspecting the involvement of an organised syndicate engaged in producing forged documents to facilitate illegal residency in India and movement abroad.

Following the arrest, the Immigration Department handed over the accused to the Sahar Police for further legal action. A case is being registered against him under multiple charges, including fraud, forgery and illegal stay in the country.

In the wake of the incident, security and immigration agencies at the airport have been put on high alert, and efforts are underway to trace those who assisted the accused in procuring the forged documents and enabling his attempted travel.

–IANS

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