BHUBANESWAR: Amid rising national security concerns over illegal infiltration and potential espionage threats, an Afghan national masquerading as an Indian citizen was arrested at Biju Patnaik International Airport, police sources said on Sunday.
The accused, identified as Mohammad Yousaf alias Yaha Khan, was caught red-handed on his arrival from Dubai on an IndiGo flight. He was using a forged Indian passport.
The Airport police arrested Yousaf on Saturday on the complaint of DSP (immigration) Samapika Pattnaik whose team during a routine immigration clearance of Flight No. 6E-1488 arriving from Dubai spotted him with the counterfeit Indian passport (No. U1380251) issued in the name of Yaha Khan, purportedly a resident of Cuttack.
Acting on suspicion, the immigration team conducted a thorough background check, which revealed a discreet look out circular (LOC) issued from Kolkata airport against the accused. Further system verification confirmed that the person was, in fact, Mohammad Yousaf, a 54-year-old man from Afghanistan, holding a genuine Afghan passport (No. 02457655).
Police sources said he had allegedly illegally entered India in 2018, adopting a false Indian identity and securing official documents through forged means. Investigations revealed that Yousaf had fraudulently acquired multiple Indian identity documents, including Aadhaar (No. 2347 1649 4378), PAN (BERPK1646E), Voter ID (YNY1493030) and Driving License (OR0519910002562) apart from the fake Indian passport. He had been residing in Peyton Sahi, Buxi Bazar area of Cuttack and operating as alias Yaha Khan, successfully blending into society while concealing his true identity.
He not only lived undetected for years but also misused the forged documents to travel, conduct business, and open bank accounts across states. Officials have expressed concern that such forged identities could be used for espionage, smuggling, or terror-related activities, especially at a time when India is facing heightened intelligence threats.
Sources said Yousaf confessed to his real identity during interrogation and admitted to fabricating multiple Indian documents. The investigating team also seized fake identity cards, foreign currencies, Rs 80,000 in cash, a smartphone, two gold earrings, a motorcycle registration certificate and bank documents in the forged name from his possession.
The accused has been produced in court and remanded in judicial custody. Further investigation is underway to uncover any wider network and potential national security implications. “We are now investigating the network that might have aided him in obtaining these documents and whether he was part of a larger sleeper cell or illegal intelligence operation,” said an official.