Panaji: Goa police suspect the involvement of a Delhi-based passport fraud racket after two Afghan nationals were arrested at Manohar International Airport, Mopa, for allegedly obtaining Indian passports using forged documents and false identities.
The arrests followed immigration checks that revealed the accused were travelling on both Indian and Afghan passports. Investigators found that both accused had allegedly procured Indian passports from Delhi.
Details of the Arrests
Mopa PI Ninad Deulkar said the two accused are relatives. According to preliminary investigations, their mother is from Haryana while their father, originally from Afghanistan, holds Russian citizenship.
“This was their second visit to Goa. They had come to celebrate the birthday of a family member,” Deulkar said.
He added that the two had completed their primary education in Goa before the family moved to Russia and later to Afghanistan, where they obtained Afghan passports.
Travel Document Discrepancies
During their travel, the accused allegedly used Indian passports to enter India and Afghan passports while departing, prompting immigration authorities to detect discrepancies in their travel documents. “The investigation has revealed that the Indian passports were obtained from Delhi. We are now probing how they were issued and who was involved,” Deulkar said.
In two separate cases, the bureau of immigration officials intercepted the Afghan nationals after discovering they were carrying Indian passports allegedly obtained fraudulently while also holding Afghan passports.
First Case: Manish alias Kanish
In the first case, a 29-year-old Afghan national, identified as Manish alias Kanish, was stopped at the arrival immigration counter on Wednesday evening. The arrest followed a complaint filed by immigration officer Ajaykumar Jivane.
Police said the accused allegedly misrepresented his identity and submitted forged documents under the name ‘Manish Singh’ to obtain an Indian passport.
Second Case: Pritash alias Kashish
In the second case, a 25-year-old Afghan national, identified as Pritash alias Kashish, was detained at the arrivals counter. Investigations revealed that he had allegedly acquired an Indian passport under the false identity of ‘Pritash Singh’ and was residing in India without valid travel documents.
Separate complaints filed by immigration authorities led to the registration of cases against both accused of illegal stay and fraudulently obtaining Indian passports.
