Hyderabad, August 06: Task Force police busted a gang of five persons, who are involved in preparing fake residential certificates and identity cards for obtaining passports. One computer, holograms, fake ration cards, voter IDs, rubber stamps and mobile phones were recovered from the accused.
Speaking to mediamen, city police commissioner AK Khan said the gang made fake residential proofs, identity cards for getting passports. “The gang was involved in making the fake documents since the past three years. They charge between `10,000 and `25,000 to provide fake residential certificates and ID cards to clients. The gang reportedly has contacts with more than five employees at the passport office. We have written to the Regional Passport Officer to find out their names and verify passports issued by them,” he added.
The five accused are Mohammed Yousufuddin alias Yousuf, resident of Jeedimetla, Qamruddin alias Kamaal, a resident of Borabanda, Mohammed Ali, Mirza Amjad Baig alias Amjad, residents of Golconda and Mohammed Zakir Hussain alias Hussain, a resident of Begumpet.
Khan said the accused confessed during interrogation that Yousuf is a passport agent. Some applicants approached him for getting passports on the Tatkal scheme.
Then, he contacted his aides Ali and Mirza Amjad Baig for making fake voter IDs and ration cards. Later, they submitted the passport applications with fake IDs with assistance of another agent Kamaal.
“A number of applications were submitted at the passport office with fake voter IDs and residential proofs in the last two years. We are therefore, probing some employees of the passport office for their involvement,’’ Khan added.
Police recovered one computer, 52 holograms, six fake ration cards, 15 fake voter IDs, one fake rubber stamp, six mobile phones and other materials.
-PTI