A Bangladeshi national, who had been residing in India for 15 years using forged identification documents, was apprehended by immigration authorities at Chennai International Airport on Monday, officials reported.
The individual, identified as 38-year-old Moseep Hossen, was detained as he attempted to board an AirAsia flight to Malaysia around 8 a.m. using a fraudulently obtained Indian passport. He was subsequently handed over to the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of Chennai Police for further investigation.
Authorities revealed that Hossen had illegally crossed into India from Bangladesh via the Tripura border in 2009. Initially, he worked at eateries in Tripura and managed to procure fake Indian identity documents, including an Aadhaar card, voter ID, and birth certificate, through local contacts.
After hearing about better job prospects in Tamil Nadu, he relocated to Chennai a few years later. In Chennai, Hossen found employment in various well-known hotels located in areas such as Nungambakkam, Vandalur, and Tambaram.
Through his professional network, Hossen became aware of lucrative opportunities in the hospitality sector in Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia and Singapore. In 2017, he used forged documents to obtain an Indian passport from the Regional Passport Office (RPO) in Tambaram. Officials noted that the passport was issued based on falsified police verification reports.
Hossen planned to travel to Malaysia on a tourist visa and eventually settle there for work. However, his plan was thwarted when an immigration official flagged inconsistencies during the boarding process, leading to further questioning and his subsequent arrest.
The CCB’s forgery investigation wing has taken over the case and seized key documents, including Hossen’s passport, Aadhaar card, voter ID, and birth certificate. Officials are investigating how the forged documents were created and whether others were involved in facilitating the illegal activities.
This arrest comes shortly after another incident in September, where three Pakistani nationals were caught at Chennai airport with fake Indian passports and Aadhaar cards upon arrival from Dhaka. Subsequent investigations uncovered 18 Pakistanis living in Bengaluru under false identities, leading to their arrest.
The incidents have raised concerns about the effectiveness of document verification processes and the potential security risks posed by individuals using fake identification to reside and travel in India.
(With inputs from The New Indian Express)
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