Kolkata, West Bengal, October 20, 2025 – In a significant blow to international document forgery networks, Kolkata Police's Special Task Force (STF) has arrested five individuals operating a sophisticated cross-border fake passport ring from a cramped apartment in the heart of the city's Park Street area. The operation, which spanned Bangladesh, Nepal, and Myanmar, has exposed deep ties to human trafficking syndicates, with authorities estimating over 200 vulnerable migrants—mostly young women and children—have been smuggled using the forged documents in the past two years.
The arrests followed a month-long surveillance operation triggered by a tip from Interpol's human trafficking desk. At around 4 a.m. on Sunday, a 15-member STF team, led by Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Police (Crime) Abhijit Mukherjee, raided the third-floor hideout in a nondescript building off AJC Bose Road. Inside, officers seized a mini printing press, 150 blank passports, high-resolution scanners, holographic laminators, and 50 completed fake documents mimicking Indian, Bangladeshi, and Nepali passports. Digital forensics revealed encrypted ledgers detailing transactions worth ₹2.5 crore.
"This racket wasn't just forging papers; it was fueling a pipeline of exploitation," DC Mukherjee stated at a press conference in Lalbazar, flanked by stacks of counterfeit IDs. "The passports were customized for trafficking victims, often routed through porous borders in Bengal's North 24 Parganas district. We've linked them to at least 15 cases of forced labor and sex trafficking reported in Delhi and Mumbai last year. Two of the arrested have direct connections to Rohingya smuggling rings out of Cox's Bazar."
The suspects, identified as 48-year-old master forger Abdul Karim from Dhaka (operating under the alias 'Karim Bhai'), 32-year-old Nepali national Rajesh Thapa, Kolkata locals Suman Das (29) and Priya Sen (26), and Bangladeshi operative Faisal Ahmed (41), were produced before the Alipore Court and remanded in 10-day police custody. Karim, the alleged ringleader, reportedly ran the operation via WhatsApp groups, sourcing blank passports from corrupt insiders in Dhaka's printing mills and using Kolkata's bustling Chinatown as a transit hub for final touches.
Investigations point to a broader network exploiting the post-monsoon migration surge. "These fakes were gold-standard—UV inks, microprinting, even chipped RFID tags that fooled basic scanners," explained STF cyber expert Inspector Rina Ghosh. "Traffickers charged ₹5-10 lakh per document, with victims paying through bonded labor. We've recovered victim photos embedded in the chips, tracing back to trafficking hotspots in Manipur and Siliguri."
The bust has sent ripples through West Bengal's anti-trafficking ecosystem. NGOs like Sanlaap and the state Human Rights Commission lauded the police action but called for enhanced border tech. "This exposes the underbelly of our migration corridors," said Dr. Vasundhara Rao, director of the Kolkata-based Anti-Trafficking Unit. "Many victims are Adivasi girls lured with job promises in Gulf countries, only to end up in brothels. We need victim shelters and cross-border task forces now."
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has prioritized women's safety in her administration, tweeted her support: "Kudos to our brave STF for smashing this evil ring. No place for traffickers in Bengal—zero tolerance! #SaveOurDaughters." The opposition BJP, however, criticized the state for "lax border vigilance," with leader Suvendu Adhikari demanding a white paper on illegal immigration.
Coordinated raids are underway in Dhaka and Kathmandu, with the Ministry of Home Affairs alerting the Border Security Force (BSF) to heighten patrols along the 4,096-km Indo-Bangla frontier. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been looped in, classifying the case under the Immigration Act and POCSO for potential child victims.
As Kolkata buzzes with Durga Puja aftermath festivities, this grim discovery serves as a stark reminder of the shadows lurking in its vibrant veins. Helplines like 1098 (Childline) and 181 (Women's Helpline) report a 20% uptick in trafficking tips since the pandemic, underscoring the urgency of sustained vigilance.
Authorities urge the public to report suspicious document activities via the cybercrime portal or toll-free 1930. The full scope of the network remains under probe, but for now, five fewer predators roam free.
. With contributions from STF sources and Interpol liaisons.
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