Chennai, December 2, 2025 – In a crackdown on passport fraud, the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of Chennai Police arrested two foreign nationals—a 32-year-old Bangladeshi man and a 24-year-old Sri Lankan woman—for allegedly obtaining Indian passports using fabricated identity documents and attempting to flee the country.
The duo, identified as Shimul Das and Valantia Beatrice, was intercepted at the airport amid preparations to board international flights. Authorities revealed that both individuals had meticulously suppressed their true nationalities to secure legitimate-looking Indian travel documents, highlighting a growing concern over illegal immigration and document forgery in the region.
Shimul Das, originally from Bangladesh, entered India in 2017 on a tourist visa alongside another compatriot. Over the years, he evaded detection by procuring fake Aadhaar cards and voter IDs, which he then used to apply for an Indian passport under the alias Srivastava Kripadas. Police sources indicated that Das was moments away from boarding a flight to Malaysia when immigration officials grew suspicious of inconsistencies in his documentation during routine checks. "The forged papers were sophisticated, but our vigilance at the departure gates paid off," a senior CCB officer told reporters.
In a parallel case, Valantia Beatrice, born in the Nilgiris district town of Ooty to Sri Lankan parents who had relocated to India in 1984, followed a similar modus operandi. Concealing her Sri Lankan roots, she amassed fraudulent identity proofs to obtain an Indian passport, ostensibly to return to her country of origin. Beatrice was nabbed just as she was set to depart for Colombo. Investigations suggest her parents' long-standing presence in India may have facilitated access to local networks involved in the forgery racket.
The arrests were made late Saturday evening following a tip-off about suspicious travel bookings. A thorough search of the suspects' belongings uncovered additional forged documents, including ration cards and utility bills bearing fabricated addresses in Chennai suburbs. No cash or other contraband was seized, but electronic devices recovered from the accused are being analyzed for links to broader forgery syndicates.
Both Das and Beatrice were produced before a local magistrate on Sunday morning and remanded to 15 days of judicial custody. The CCB has registered cases under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for cheating, forgery, and violations of the Passports Act, 1967. Further probes are underway to trace the agents who supplied the fake documents, with suspicions pointing to unauthorized middlemen preying on vulnerable migrants.
In a public advisory, Chennai Police Commissioner Sandeep Rai Rathore urged citizens to apply for passports and visas only through official channels, warning against touts who exploit desperate individuals with promises of quick approvals. "Genuine documents are the cornerstone of secure travel; any shortcut invites legal trouble," Rathore emphasized in a statement. This incident underscores the challenges faced by immigration authorities in a bustling transit hub like Chennai, where thousands of passengers are screened daily.
Authorities have not ruled out connections to larger networks operating across South Asia, and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been informed for potential escalation. As India tightens borders amid regional geopolitical tensions, such busts serve as a reminder of the persistent threats posed by identity fraud.
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