Fake ID racket busted in Siliguri, seven detained; Bangladeshi link suspected
The Statesman | 17 June 2025
In a major crackdown on an identity fraud racket, the Siliguri Metropolitan Police on Monday raided a house along the Eastern Bypass and busted an illegal operation involved in the manufacturing of fake Aadhaar cards, voter IDs, and other forged documents. During the raid, seven persons were detained for interrogation as part of an ongoing investigation.
Acting on a tip-off, a special police team posed as customers to gain access to the premises, which had been under discreet surveillance. After confirming the operation, a larger force was mobilised to carry out the raid on the suspected building this afternoon.
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Preliminary investigations suggest that the racket had been providing fake identification documents to individuals attempting to bypass law enforcement, particularly during routine checks on migrants and outsiders settling in Siliguri. According to intelligence sources, a number of individuals, especially from Bangladesh, are suspected to have illegally crossed the border and procured these fake documents from the racket by paying hefty sums.
Police officials confirmed that they had been tracking the operation for several days after receiving inputs about the circulation of forged documents in the area. Efforts are now underway to identify the full network involved in the production and distribution of these fraudulent IDs.
A senior officer involved in the operation said: “The racket posed a serious threat to internal security, especially in light of the rising number of undocumented individuals attempting to settle in the region. Further interrogation of the detained individuals and analysis of the seized materials will help us uncover the extent of this network.”
Police have also recovered electronic equipment and document templates from the premises, which are being examined by forensic experts. Authorities are not ruling out the possibility of inter-state or cross-border links in the operation. Further raids and arrests are likely in the coming days as the investigation progresses.