NEW DELHI: The airport unit of the Delhi Police has busted one of the biggest fake passport and visa rackets in operation by arresting its mastermind and three other agents, officials said on Saturday.
A passenger deported from Kuwait on June 6, Ravi Rameshbhai Chaudhary, was also nabbed in the case. Chaudhary was found to be carrying a fake passport, and a case was registered against him, they said.
A total of 325 Indian passports, four international passports, 175 forged visas of various countries and over 1,200 immigration stamps among others have been seized, the police said.
After his arrest, Chaudhary was interrogated and he disclosed that he had come in contact with agents Narayanbhai, Zakir Yusuf Shaikh and Mushtaq, they said.
Chaudhary had initially contacted agent Narayanbhai in Gujarat who offered to arrange a fake passport and visa for him for Rs 65 lakh. The agent shared contacts of his Mumbai-based associates Zakir Yusuf Sheikh and Mushtaq with Chaudhary, who paid Rs 15 lakh cash as advance, a senior police officer said.
Chaudhary contacted them, and Mushtaq arranged a fake passport for him, along with a fake visa for the Netherlands, he said.
The rest of the money was to be paid to Narayanbhai after Chaudhary landed in the USA, the police said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI Airport) Tanu Sharma said Mushtaq was nabbed from Mumbai on August 3 who disclosed that he was working with Sheikh, the mastermind behind the racket.
Mushtaq also disclosed that the fake passports were procured by Raju Bhai alias Imtiaz Ali Sheikh and Sanjay Dattaram Chavan, both residents of Mumbai, the officer said.
A raid was conducted at Madh Mumbai and Sheikh was apprehended on Tuesday. On his instance, Imtiaz and Chavan were also arrested from Andheri West and Chuna Bhatti Mumbai, the DCP said.
Sheikh has links with almost all agents in India and he used to procure passports, fabricated visas and other travelling documents from Imtiaz and Chavan. He finances movies and web series in Mumbai, the police said. They used to procure raw materials from Chennai and other parts of the country, the officials said. (PTI)
