Madurai Airport Passenger Arrested for Fake Passport While Boarding Dubai Flight
In a significant immigration fraud case, a Dubai-bound passenger was apprehended at Madurai International Airport for possession of a counterfeit passport. The accused, identified as 54-year-old Kannadasan, was intercepted during routine document verification procedures that uncovered his elaborate scheme of identity manipulation.
Multiple Aliases and Age Falsification Uncovered
Police officials revealed that Kannadasan operated under several false identities and systematically altered his age across different documentation. Immigration authorities grew suspicious when examining his travel history, as he claimed to have worked in Saudi Arabia and Dubai for over fifteen years but could not produce any legitimate previous travel documents to substantiate his claims.
Confession Reveals Elaborate Fraud Scheme
During interrogation, Kannadasan confessed that his original passport, issued with his real name and date of birth as November 10, 1972, was allegedly lost by a travel agent in Trichy. To circumvent this obstacle and continue working abroad, he sought assistance from another agent in Sivaganga in 2005, who provided him with a fraudulent passport under the alias "Kumar, son of Andi" with a falsified birth date of July 6, 1979.
Using this counterfeit identity, Kannadasan successfully worked in Saudi Arabia for several years and even managed to renew the fake passport in 2015. The situation became more complicated during the COVID-19 pandemic when he returned to India and discovered he needed vaccination certificates for further travel, which required an Aadhaar card with a legal name matching his passport.
Further Document Manipulation and Recent Activities
Facing this new challenge, Kannadasan applied for a new passport in his real name but deliberately falsified his birth date as March 14, 1979. Police investigations confirmed that the accused utilized this latest fraudulent document to work in Dubai throughout 2023 before returning to India for Pongal holidays.
His attempt to fly back to Dubai on Sunday was foiled when immigration officials detected that he had knowingly concealed his prior history and manipulated his age across multiple passport applications. The thorough verification process exposed the inconsistencies in his documentation and travel patterns.
Legal Action and Charges Filed
Following a formal complaint from immigration officials, the Avaniyapuram police registered a case against Kannadasan under the Passport Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). This arrest highlights the increasing vigilance of airport authorities in detecting sophisticated document fraud attempts.
The case serves as a stark reminder about the serious consequences of passport forgery and identity manipulation, particularly at international travel hubs like Madurai airport. Authorities have emphasized their commitment to maintaining strict document verification protocols to prevent such fraudulent activities.
