Border Crossed, Identities Changed, Passports Secured As Special Task Force Unravels Fake Passport Racket In Bhopal

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The investigation into a fake passport racket has revealed that mastermind Riyal Choudhary and other Bangladeshi immigrants who entered India through the racket used a 'layered strategy' to mislead local authorities and evade detection during passport verification.

According to Special Task Force (STF) officials, after crossing into India from Bangladesh through jungle and river routes, the immigrants would initially stay in Assam for some time.

There, they obtained identity documents before shifting to Betul or other parts of India, where they would establish other identity and obtain additional local documents.

This strategy enabled them to claim Assam or another Indian location as their original place of residence during passport verification. Officials said a similar pattern has emerged in around 70 fake passport cases detected in Bhopal and Gwalior.

During the passport verification process, Riyal Choudhary and other suspects claimed their birthplace to be Assam or other places in India and produced supporting documents to prevent authorities from suspecting that they could be Bangladeshi nationals.

During questioning, Riyal told investigators that his father had crossed the border and entered India, while he himself claimed Assam as his birthplace.

Riyal crossed the border several years ago and stayed in Assam before moving to Betul and later Bhopal, where he started living at Ashoka Bauddh Vihar while posing as a monk.

So far, four members, including Riyal, have been arrested and are being interrogated, while STF teams are searching for other members of the racket in Assam and other states.

The investigation has so far revealed that 70 fake passports were issued through the racket. Of these, more than 40 were reportedly issued using an address at Ashok Bauddh Vihar in Bhopal.

Most passports issued during Covid pandemic

The STF officials said most passports identified in the investigation were issued during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The suspects deliberately applied for passports during that period, taking advantage of Covid protocols, social-distancing requirements and evading intensive physical verification amid the prevailing restrictions and public fear.

Officials suspect this made it easier for the applicants to complete the process without attracting suspicion.

Mobile phone data raises questions over foreign trips

During the examination of the suspects' mobile phones, who have travelled to Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, China and other countries, it came to light that trips appeared to have been made for leisure and entertainment rather than religious tourism.

However, STF officials said that, at present, they have found no evidence suggesting a terror angle or any other such connection in the case.