Two Afghan men were arrested at Goa's Mopa International Airport on charges of using forged Indian passports to travel abroad, police said on Sunday.
Incident Details
The accused, identified as Ahmad Fawad and Mohammad Nasir, both residents of Afghanistan, were intercepted by immigration officials while attempting to board a flight to Dubai. During document verification, the officials suspected the passports were fake and alerted the police.
A police team from the Mopa airport police station took the duo into custody. Preliminary investigations revealed that the passports bore Indian names and addresses, but the holders had no legitimate claim to Indian citizenship.
Legal Proceedings
The two men were produced before a local court on Saturday, which remanded them to two days of police custody for further interrogation. Police are investigating how they obtained the forged documents and whether they were part of a larger trafficking ring.
An official said, "We are probing the source of these fake passports and any possible links to organized crime. The accused are being questioned about their contacts and the purpose of their travel."
Security Concerns
The arrest has raised concerns about airport security and the vulnerability of India's passport system to forgery. Authorities have tightened scrutiny at all international airports in the state.
This is not the first such case in Goa. In recent years, several individuals have been caught using fake documents at the state's airports, prompting calls for enhanced verification measures.
Further investigation is underway.
