The Crime Investigation Department, following multiple raids in Hyderabad, Jagtial, Korutla, Nizamabad and Karimnagar, arrested 12 persons who were reportedly processing passports based on fake documents, on Friday.
The arrested 12 includes Abdus Sattar Osman Al Jahwari, 50, a resident of Hyderabad, the gang leader for the agents.
The police seized from the accused 108 passports, mobile phones, printers, scanners and related material.
According to the police, Al Jahwari, the key accused, a graphic designer and a printing worker, started his venture of preparing fake documents, particularly educational certificates of SSC, degree and births, for easy money.
Al Jahwari expanded his network, starting with a passport broker in Chennai, who has a good customer base, including those from Sri Lanka, and started preparing fake documents for the process of issuing Indian passports.
He was reportedly charging ₹75,000 from the agent in Chennai, per person, for issuing a passport based on fake documents, such as by changing photographs, name, age and address particulars of Aadhaar card, voter ID and fake educational certificates.
After the agent from Chennai sends the list of names, Al Jahwari prepares the documents, registers the slots and the candidates are sent to Hyderabad on the particular date. The accused also managed certain police officials to manage police verification and clearance step.
Police said investigation so far has revealed that the team of accused persons successfully processed 92 passports and most of them were used for travelling abroad. The agent from Chennai was arrested in Bengaluru and is being produced before a local court for transit to Hyderabad.
An investigation was launched into the fraud, under Sections of IPC S. 420 (Cheating), 465 (forgery), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (Using as genuine a forged document), 120B (Criminal conspiracy), and under provisions of the Indian Passport Act, Foreigners Act, and the Foreigners (Amendment) Act.
