Tejas Navale

Pune: In a significant crackdown on illegal immigration, the passport department of the Pimpri-Chinchwad police Commissionerate has cancelled 42 Indian passports after discovering that nearly 42 Bangladeshi citizens were in possession of illegal passports. This action follows an investigation by the anti-terrorism squad and Nigdi police.

In January, a joint operation by the anti-terrorism squad and Nigdi police led to the detention of five Bangladeshi infiltrators who had been residing illegally in India for several years. During the operation, five Indian-origin passports were seized from the detainees, raising alarms within the police department.

Further investigation revealed that an agent was assisting these individuals in obtaining illegal passports. Under interrogation, the agent confessed that earlier he had aided 35 other Bangladeshi citizens in acquiring Indian passports through such fraudulent means. This prompted the Nigdi police to file a complaint against all 42 infiltrators and the agent at the Nigdi police station.

Following the complaint, the police detained and arrested the remaining 35 accused individuals. The investigation uncovered that these infiltrators had crossed the India-Bangladesh border illegally and had been creating fake documents such as school leaving certificates and domicile certificates to obtain Indian passports.

The cancellation of the 42 passports is part of the ongoing efforts by the Pimpri-Chinchwad police to address illegal immigration and document fraud. The investigation continues as authorities aim to identify and dismantle any remaining networks facilitating illegal immigration and document fraud in the region.