Jabalpur, Aug 2 (NationPress) In a significant operation against identity fraud and unlawful immigration, the Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has apprehended an Afghan national, Sohbat Khan, in Jabalpur for reportedly managing a passport scam with counterfeit documents.

Khan, who had been residing in India without authorization for over ten years, is charged with aiding Afghan citizens in obtaining Indian passports through falsified residential and identity proofs.

Authorities have also detained two accomplices.

The individuals involved have been named as Dinesh Garg, a forest guard currently assigned to the Election Cell of the Collector's Office, and Mahendra Kumar Sukhdan, a local resident from the Katanga area.

Both are believed to have participated in the manipulation of documents and procedural irregularities.

Khan successfully acquired an Indian passport for himself in 2020 by utilizing fraudulent documentation and extended this service to Afghan associates living in West Bengal and Chhattisgarh.

So far, investigators have uncovered 20 dubious cases associated with this racket, with financial transactions nearing Rs 10 lakh.

Khan allegedly secured a driving license in Jabalpur in 2015, which acted as a precursor to his fraudulent passport application. He also married a local woman, further integrating himself into the community.

Among those confirmed to have benefited from the scam are two Afghan nationals, Akbar and Iqbal, who obtained passports registered to false addresses in Jabalpur.

The ATS has expanded its investigation to identify others who facilitated the racket by producing fake documents, aiding police verifications, and unlawfully retrieving passports from post offices.

Currently, ATS officials are interrogating Khan to uncover the full scope of the network and its operational methods. This case has highlighted serious concerns regarding weaknesses in identity verification systems and the possible exploitation of administrative processes.