The state special operation cell (SSOC) has busted a gang reportedly involved in making fake passports and documents for hardcore criminals in Punjab to help them flee abroad. Three men, including two Delhi-based immigration agents, have been arrested.
The police said the gang helped around 20 such criminals, including Punjab’s dreaded gangster Gopi Nawanshahria, a close associate of Pakistan-based terrorist Harvinder, alias Rinda, who escaped to Poland in 2022 using fake identity. The gang also helped Sukhjit Singh, alias Sukha Kalaudi, of Sangrur who escaped to the USA and Gurpreet Singh, alias Lehmber Sidhwan, from Ludhiana who escaped to Canada. The police said the escapees, who had dozens of criminal cases registered against them in India, were out of jail on bail or parole.
Working on a tip-off, an SSOC team initially arrested Jagjeet Singh, alias Jeeta, alias Sonu, of Urban Estate, Phase 1, Jalandhar. Acting on his disclosure, the team arrested two Delhi-immigration agents, identified as Mohammad Shazeb Abid, alias Shazeb, alias Sajid, and Mohammad Kaif.
Explaining their modus operandi, a senior police official said the duo allegedly produced counterfeit visas to ensure their clients bypass regular immigration controls, leading to their entry in European countries. The accused were allegedly using a clandestine route through Bangladesh to smuggle individuals into European nations, like Poland and Portugal.
“This route was particularly chosen to evade stringent immigration checks and facilitate the smooth transit of dreaded gangsters. Jagjeet Singh, while being lodged in various Punjab jails, met the criminals and referred their cases to both the agents,” a cop added.
After getting fake passports and documents and with the aid of the local agents, these criminals are made to cross the India-Bangladesh border through forest routes via Siliguri in West Bengal. After reaching Bangladesh, these gangsters stayed in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, the police said.
“Here one may have to stay around one to three months prior to entering Hong Kong and then from there, the individuals reach European countries like Poland and Portugal. This illegal operation not only compromised national security but also undermined the integrity of immigration systems in the countries they targeted,” an investigator said.
The accused have been booked under Sections 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for cheating), 471 (fraudulently or dishonestly uses as genuine any document), 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 12 of the Passport Act, 1967, at the SSOC in the SAS Nagar police station.