BENGALURU: Basavanagudi police busted a racket where agents helped foreign nationals and persons with criminal backgrounds get passports by creating fake documents. Nine people, including five Sri Lankans and four agents, were arrested.
Police said they received a police verification application for a passport by a certain Mohammed Karim in December 2020, and cleared it. However, when Pension Mohalla police in Hassan approached Basavanagudi police, seeking information about Sadiq Pasha, a habitual offender wanted in theft cases, his photo matched that of Karim. A fresh criminal case was registered against four persons on October 19, and an investigation was launched.
“Based on details provided in the police verification application, information was gathered about the passport agents and four people — two residents each of Bengaluru and Mangaluru — were arrested. One of the agents had similar cases against him in seven police stations, and was arrested earlier too. When questioned, they revealed that they created fake Aadhaar cards, voter IDs for residential proof and school transfer certificates as proof of date of birth. So far, they had helped around 50 people get passports and driving licences by giving fake documents,” police said, adding that they had helped 20 people in Basavanagudi police station limits alone get passports using fake IDs.
Further, it was revealed that five Sri Lankans, including a woman, got passports by obtaining fake IDs as Indian nationals, and were arrested. “They had come to India on Sri Lankan passports. They intended to go to France to get placements as a teacher, medical assistant and drivers. As it was not easy to get a French visa due to the crisis in Sri Lanka, they got Indian passports fraudulently,” police said.
Investigations also revealed that six persons with a criminal history have gone abroad using passports obtained using fake documents. “A habitual offender from Chikkamagaluru with 36 burglary cases against him, and his brother who has 15 cases -- three from Mangaluru for involvement in serious offences like murder, dacoity and extortion -- have gone to foreign countries. A detailed probe is being carried out,” police added.