West Bengal Police Investigating Connections Between Counterfeit Passports and Human Trafficking Networks
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Kolkata Dec 26 (NationPress) Officials from the West Bengal Police and Kolkata Police, who are investigating the counterfeit passport operations in the state, are attempting to uncover the connections between these operations and those engaged in cross-border human trafficking, as reported by sources.
The investigative team's suspicion regarding possible links between fake passports and human trafficking networks arose after reviewing the documents of counterfeit passports created by these operations, revealing that nearly all beneficiaries were illegal infiltrators.
While most of the counterfeit passports were issued to male illegal infiltrators from neighboring Bangladesh, a significant number of female infiltrators also had fake passports made for them.
Sources indicated that since many of the female infiltrators for whom these counterfeit passports were issued fall within their early twenties to early thirties, suspicion regarding the involvement of human trafficking networks has intensified.
In recent years, there have been sporadic reports of women being trafficked from neighboring Bangladesh, primarily for two purposes. A small fraction of these trafficked women, once their counterfeit Indian documents are arranged, are dispatched to various Indian states to work as domestic aides, with their agents receiving commissions in return.
Conversely, a larger portion of the trafficked women, particularly those in their early to mid-twenties, are sent to various red-light areas across the country to work as sex workers.
In fact, sources stated that the public prosecutor has updated the court, where those arrested in the counterfeit passport case were presented, about the potential connection to human trafficking activities.
As of now, six individuals have been apprehended in relation to the counterfeit passport operations since January 15.
Investigative officials have discerned a pattern in the workings of these operations that facilitate counterfeit Indian passports for illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators. Any infiltrator illegally crossing into Indian territory typically contacts local agents and expresses a willingness to pay substantial sums for counterfeit Indian identity documents. They are first provided with safe accommodations in various villages near the borders with Bangladesh, both land and coastal.
Subsequently, the agents arrange for counterfeit ration cards, which serve as the initial step for creating other identity documents. Utilizing these fake ration cards, other forms of identification such as EPIC, PAN, and Aadhaar cards are obtained. The final step involves acquiring counterfeit passports based on these other forged identity documents.
