‘Man in passport scam ran human trafficking racket’
Times of India | 27 December 2024
Kolkata: Moktar Alam, arrested on Wednesday from Jagulia in the fake passport scam masterminded by Samaresh Biswas, ran an immoral trafficking racket, the Kolkata Police SIT told the Alipore court on Wednesday.
In exchange for money and in connivance with foreign nationals, Alam procured Indian passports, issued in the name of Indian nationals but with photos of foreign nationals, to help them get access to India and become its citizens, police said. "He sent illegal Bangladeshi immigrants to European countries as part of a well-organised international human trafficking racket," said an officer. Alam had been remanded in police custody for eight days, said Alipore police court public prosecutor Sourin Ghosal. Police said Alam illegally trafficked nearly 500 Bangladeshis by providing them with forged papers to create passports.
"Alam met Haridevpur resident Manoj Gupta, from whose home fake voter, Aadhaar and PAN cards were found. Gupta is on the run," said an officer.
Alam, said police, often travelled to Bangladesh for his supposed textile business and on those trips, he established contacts with agents there for illegal crossovers. Alam told police around two dozen agents worked for him. He also provided shelter to Bangladeshi infiltrators.
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