Matter came to light during a verification drive in Thane

The Mumbai police and the State Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) have raised serious security concerns over infiltrating Bangladeshi nationals obtaining forged Indian passports. The latest development came to light after the recent arrest of scores of illegal immigrants from Thane, revealing as many as 40 infiltrators have possibly managed to obtain Indian passports from remote districts in Jharkhand.

Sources in the ATS said the agency has now handed over this fresh list to the Thane police, claiming many of them have not only forged ration cards, Aadhaar and other documents but likely an Indian passport as well. This has sent alarm bells ringing in the security establishment.

“This matter came to light during a passport verification drive of a recently-arrested group of illegal immigrants. It seems they paid about Rs. 5,000 to agents for pretending to be Indian nationals and thereby obtaining Indian passports. This is a very serious and sensitive issue, and we are investigating how these infiltrators are obtaining fake passports with such ease,” said a senior official from the ATS.

The ATS investigation has revealed some touts are helping these illegal immigrants ferry back and forth a trip from and to Bangladesh once the passport is ready. These passports, officials said, were applied for through an online system last year as per the usual procedures of the Regional Passport Office, and its requirements to fill a passport form. The immigrants had provided their Aadhaar and voter ID card for identification to the police and the local administration, sources in the ATS said.

In 2012, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray had held Bangladeshi infiltrators responsible for the widespread violence on August 11, which left two persons dead and 45 others injured. While blaming the illegal immigrants for attacks on the Mumbai police and media persons, Mr. Thackeray had flashed what he claimed was a green-coloured passport found at the venue and purportedly belonging to a Bangladeshi.