Investigations into the fake passport case, where two alleged Myanmarese nationals were deported last week after Sharjah authorities found discrepancies in their passports, have revealed that the duo had been brought in from Deoband in Uttar Pradesh (UP).
Deoband village in UP is considered the birthplace of ultra-conservative sect called Deobandi in Islam.
Now, the Pune police are investigating if the duo was indeed guinea pigs in the larger scheme of things.
Investigators pointed that the duo was sent on the inaugural flight of a private airline from Pune to Sharjah. “This was the first flight and Pune doesn’t have many flights going abroad. So authorities aren’t used to scan travel documents as thoroughly as would happen at major airports in the country. We are trying to see if this was a test to figure out easier routes to send people outside for job rackets, or on a more serious note, for terror training via Gulf,” sources told dna.
Investigations so far have revealed that the two Myanmarese — Ansari Mehboob Alam (24) and Gazi Najbul Hasan (23) — had come to Deoband in the first week of February where they met one Habid. Later, Habid took them to his house and told them that he would send them to Gulf and also promised them that he would issue passports on their names.
A senior police officer of Pune police who did not want to divulge his identity told dna, “Thereafter, the duo worked in Habid’s farms for six months. The duo had told us that Habid had given the passports in the second week of September. Interestingly, the duo has claimed that they did not give any documents to Habid.”
After getting the passports, Habid and the duo took a train and came to Mumbai on September 21 morning. They spent sometime in the city.
“On September 21 afternoon, Habid drove the duo in a car to Lohegaon airport. We have checked the CCTV cameras installed at the airport and found that the trio reached the airport around 7pm. They parked their car in a parking area and walked through a no entry zone at the airport area.
“Later, Habid showed the airport’s entrance to the duo and asked them to go before immediately disappearing from the scene. At 10.40 pm, the duo took SpiceJet flight for Sharjah,” said a senior officer privy to investigation details.
They were deported immediately after the Sharjah authorities found their passports were fake. On arrival, they were arrested by the airport police and their passports were seized.
Police have now written letters to Hyderabad and Patna passport authorities to find out what documents were submitted to procure passports, if at all the passports were made there.
“We doubt if the passports were indeed issued by the respective offices. Our suspicion is that they were made in Deoband itself using fake stamps and paper,” said an officer. Assistant police inspector Pratap Kolte, who is investigating the case told dna, “The duo has been sent to magisterial custody. We are probing the case and are likely to go to Hyderabad in the next couple of days.” He refused to confirm or deny information sourced by dna.
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