Four Kolkata Police personnel under investigation in passport forgery scam as former officer arrested

Kolkata Police is intensifying its investigation into the involvement of four of its personnel in a large-scale passport forgery racket. The suspects include two police officers, one constable, and one home guard. These individuals are suspected of assisting a criminal network responsible for the illegal issuance of fraudulent passports. The ongoing investigation aims to determine their specific roles and connections within the scheme. As part of the probe, all four officers have been temporarily removed from their duties pending further investigation.

The investigation followed the arrest of Abdul Hai, a retired Kolkata Police Sub-Inspector, who is accused of playing a significant role in the passport forgery operation. Hai, who retired in 2024, had served in the Security Control Division and worked as a Passport Verification Officer for over two years. He was arrested from Ashoknagar in North 24 Parganas after investigators found financial transactions linking him to Samresh Biswas, one of the primary figures behind the network. Hai's bank account showed transfers totaling nearly Rs 13 lakh from Biswas over the years.

Hai is believed to have charged Rs 25,000 per forged passport, which was paid through Biswas. The forged passports were reportedly issued to over 150 illegal immigrants, enabling them to travel abroad. Of these, more than 50 were processed during Hai’s tenure as a Passport Verification Officer. Investigators have stated that Hai became involved with the operation after meeting Biswas through his work in the passport verification department. Once engaged in the racket, Hai is believed to have facilitated the issuance of the fraudulent passports.

Along with Hai's arrest, five mobile phones have been seized from the suspects associated with the passport forgery ring. Investigators believe that these phones contain valuable evidence related to the network's operations. However, it is suspected that a significant amount of data has been deleted. Forensic examination of the phones is currently underway to recover any remaining data. Authorities hope that the recovered information will reveal further details about the operation, including the identities of additional individuals involved in the forgery and the methods used to issue the fake documents.

The passport forgery investigation has led to the arrest of eight individuals, including both police personnel and other members of the criminal network. The scope of the operation has expanded as authorities continue to uncover the full extent of the fraud. Investigators are working to identify further connections within the police force and are focused on determining how the network facilitated the issuance of fake passports over several years. The case continues to evolve, with further arrests and discoveries expected as the investigation progresses.