Fake passport racket busted

NEW DELHI: A man has been arrested for facilitating the illegal re-entry of a blacklisted Indian passenger into Saudi Arabia using forged travel documents, police at Delhi’s IGI Airport said on Monday.

The accused, identified as Maseeula alias Ajimulla (28), a resident of Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, was apprehended from Gonda following an investigation into a deportation case. On April 24, Moharram Ali was intercepted at IGI Airport after being deported from Saudi Arabia. Though previously blacklisted in 2017 for overstaying his visa, Ali had attempted to return using a new passport issued under a false identity. He was arrested and revealed that he paid Rs 2 lakh to Maseeula for a fake passport, visa and ticket. Saudi authorities detected the fraud during biometric checks and deported him again. Police tracked Maseeula through local intelligence.