In a significant breakthrough, the Kolkata Police arrested Dipankar Das, a contractual employee of the Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK), for his involvement in a fake passport racket. During the investigation, a database recovered from Das’s gadgets revealed shocking details, including the names of around 30,000 individuals for whom Das had forged Indian identity documents, primarily passports.
This racket, which operated from a small office at Das’s residence in Behala, Kolkata, has raised concerns about illegal infiltration into India. Sources close to the investigation revealed that many of the recipients of these fake documents are believed to be illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh. Authorities suspect these infiltrators might still be residing in various parts of India, including West Bengal, using forged passports and other documents to conceal their identity.
The police are working closely with local stations, circulating the database of these 30,000 individuals in order to track their whereabouts. As part of the ongoing probe, the police have already interviewed over 50 witnesses to gather further information on the fake passport operations.
This arrest is part of a larger investigation into an international network that trafficked forged identity documents, including visas from European nations and fake documents of leading Indian public-sector banks. Authorities believe that the racket is not limited to POPSK staff and suspect that some permanent employees of the Indian Postal Department may also be linked to the operation.
Since the investigation began, five individuals have been arrested, including two other contractual POPSK staff members, Deepak Mondal and S Biswas. The arrested suspects are believed to have been operating in areas near the Bangladesh border, taking advantage of the region’s proximity to facilitate illegal activities.
The police are continuing to investigate the full scale of this passport fraud and expect to make further arrests.