Unraveling the Fake Passport Racket: ED's Latest Raids in Kolkata

Enforcement Directorate Targets Fake Passport Operations

Kolkata: On Monday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) executed raids at an online passport application center located near the Passport Seva Kendra in Kolkata. This action is part of an ongoing investigation into a fraudulent passport scheme allegedly linked to a Pakistani national.

ED officials reported that they gathered significant information during their visit to the passport office. It appears that these online application centers may have facilitated the corruption involved in producing counterfeit passports.

Earlier that day, the ED also searched the residence of a carpenter in Chakdaha, Nadia district, where family members were interrogated. The carpenter, identified as Biplab Sarkar from Padari village, was specifically targeted by the investigation team.

Subsequently, three individuals, including Biplab and his brothers Binanda and Bipul Sarkar, were apprehended. Reports indicate that one individual from Nadia was taken to the ED office in Kolkata for further questioning.

Upon arriving in Chakdaha, the ED team promptly proceeded to Biplab Sarkar's modest home, initiating their search immediately. The investigation aims to uncover the methods used to create fake passports and track the travel history of those who utilized them.

It has come to light that approximately 350 fraudulent passport applications were submitted from a cyber cafe owned by Indu Bhushan, who was arrested last month. This prompted the ED's raid on Sarkar's residence. Although Biplab is a carpenter, investigators are exploring potential connections to Bangladesh, as Indu Bhushan was also implicated in producing fake identity cards.

The ED is scrutinizing Biplab Sarkar's travel history and banking transactions, as well as examining the documents and passports belonging to his brother Bipul and their family members. Their travel records and the origins of their passports are under investigation, along with mobile phone data.

Sources indicate that Biplab's name emerged during the questioning of Indu Bhushan Halder, a middleman arrested last month for facilitating the acquisition of Indian identity documents for foreigners in exchange for money.

Earlier this year, a Pakistani citizen named Azad Mallick was arrested in connection with the fake passport case. The ED had previously conducted extensive searches along the India-Bangladesh border and in the North 24 Parganas and Nadia districts, with today's actions stemming from similar intelligence.

The investigation into the fake Indian passport racket operating in West Bengal began with the West Bengal Police late last year, leading to multiple arrests. The ED later took over the case due to the money laundering implications.

In April, the ED made significant progress by apprehending Azad Mullick, who was found to be involved not only in the hawala and fake passport operations but also in arranging counterfeit visas for individuals seeking to travel abroad.

The state police have filed a chargesheet naming 130 individuals as defendants in the case, with 120 identified as illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. A lookout notice has also been issued against them.