ED tracks people linked to fake Indian passports by Pakistani infiltrator

Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has begun tracking individuals who obtained fake Indian identity documents, including passports, through Azad Mullick, a Pakistani infiltrator arrested in Kolkata.

Sources reveal that ED officials have identified around 200 individuals whose fraudulent passports were arranged by Mullick.

Before his arrest earlier this year, Mullick operated parallel rackets involving counterfeit Indian passports and hawala transactions from his rented residence on Kolkata’s northern outskirts.

Authorities suspect that some of those who acquired fake passports through Mullick may have connections to fundamentalist and terror outfits based in Pakistan.

Investigating officials have uncovered evidence that some individuals for whom Azad forged fake documents entered West Bengal via Bangladesh or Nepal.

Sources indicate that these individuals later connected with Azad through his agent network, ultimately obtaining fraudulent Indian identity documents, including passports.

The pattern remained consistent—illegal infiltrators were initially given safe shelter in villages near the state's land and coastal borders with Bangladesh. From there, agents facilitated the creation of fake birth certificates and ration cards, serving as the foundation for acquiring further identity documents.

Using forged ration cards and birth certificates, infiltrators were able to obtain additional Indian identity documents, including Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPIC), Permanent Account Numbers (PAN), and AADHAAR.

The final step in the operation was securing fake passports based on these fraudulent documents.

Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials uncovered details about individuals involved after decoding messages from Azad’s WhatsApp chats—both individual and group conversations.

Originally named Azad Hossain as a Pakistani citizen, he later obtained Bangladeshi citizenship under the name Ahammed Hossain Azad through illegal means.

Ultimately, he managed to acquire a fake Indian passport under the name Azad Mullick.

During his arrest, officials seized two fake EPIC cards, multiple counterfeit driving licenses, and four fraudulent birth certificates from his possession.

(inputs from IANS)