In a significant breakthrough, the anti-passport wing of the city police arrested six tour and travel operators for their involvement in a passport forgery scam. The arrests came after immigration officials uncovered several air passengers carrying passports obtained through fake documents. This led to an extensive investigation and the busting of the fraud network operating across different districts.
The arrested individuals have been identified as: P. Satish Kumar, A. Kalyan, Nalla Mohammad, Nasar Ali ,Faisal Rahman, B. Kumar
Kalyan ran Sai Tours and Travels in Madurai, Nalla Mohammad operated Metro Studio and Travels in Devakottai, and Faisal Rahman was behind Dheen-e-service in Othakadai. Naser Ali managed JK Air Travels, while B Kumar operated his travel agency in Samayanallur near Madurai.
A police team led by CCB Inspector Sivamani conducted surprise raids on Saturday, seizing one laptop, two computers, six mobile phones, and 54 passports along with forged agreements between the agents and their clients.
The scam was uncovered earlier this year when immigration officials at Chennai Airport flagged passengers carrying fraudulent passports. These passports were obtained by submitting fake documents, which led to a tip-off to the anti-passport wing of the city police. Further investigation revealed that the fraudsters had exploited fake Aadhar cards to apply for fresh PAN cards and then used these documents to secure new passports.
According to police, the agents created new identities by fabricating Aadhar cards or altering the birth details in existing ones. These fake or altered Aadhar cards were then used to apply for PAN cards, which served as crucial documents to acquire new passports. By manipulating these essential identification records, the agents were able to deceive authorities and issue passports to clients under false identities.
The six arrested agents were produced before a magistrate on Monday and remanded in judicial custody. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have vowed to pursue further leads to uncover the full scope of the scam and identify any additional parties involved.