Mira-Bhayandar: 35-Year-Old Immigrant Arrested For Using Banned App To Chat With Kin In Bangladesh

Mira-Bhayandar: The crime branch unit (zone I) attached to the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) police have arrested a 35-year-old illegal Bangladeshi immigrant who was found to be using the banned IMO (In My Opinion) mobile application to communicate with his family members back in his home country.

Acting on a tip-off, a team led by API-Prashant Gangurde laid a trap and rounded up the suspect identified as- Javed Rohman Shaikh (35) in the Jangid Enclave area of Mira Road at around 12:30 pm on Thursday. After Shaikh failed to produce legitimate documents to authorize his stay in the country, he was taken into custody.

Accused Sneaked Into Our Country In Illegal Manner

A native of Madhapur village in Khulna district of Bangladesh, Shaikh who had apparently sneaked into the country in an illegal manner was working as a painter and was staying at a tenement in the Penkar Pada area of Kashimira for more than a year. Upon frisking the team found a mobile phone in his possession.

The mobile was checked and the police team found that Shaikh was communicating with his family in Bangladesh using the banned IMP app. The method of communication used by the accused has raised concerns about security threats posed by such apps as a large number of Bangladeshi nationals are illegally staying in the twin-city.

The screenshots of conversations along with the sim-card and mobile phone have been sent for forensic examinations to check whether any illegal activity had been carried out using the app. IMO is amongst the 13 other mobile messenger applications which have been banned by the Indian government in May, 2023 citing security concerns.

Accused Booked Under Relevant Legal Sections

Meanwhile, an offence under the relevant sections of the Passport (Entry into India) Act-1920 and Foreigners Act- 1946 has been registered at the Kashimira police station against the accused who was remanded to custody after being produced before the district sessions court, Thane. Further investigations were underway.