The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids in West Bengal as part of its investigation into a fake passport and money laundering racket reportedly linked to a Pakistani national.
ED officers targeted an online passport application centre located in front of the Passport Seva Kendra in Kolkata. According to officials, such external application centres may have facilitated the creation of fraudulent passports.
Earlier in the day, the ED raided the residence of a carpenter, Biplab Sarkar, in Padari village, Chakdaha, Nadia district. His brother and another individual were also questioned. Subsequently, Biplab Sarkar, Binanda Sarkar, and Bipul Sarkar were arrested, with one of them brought to the ED office in Kolkata for further interrogation.
“It is being investigated how fake passports were created and whether the suspects or their family members used them to travel abroad,” an ED source said.
The investigation follows revelations that approximately 350 fake passport applications were processed through a cyber café in Chakdaha owned by Indu Bhushan, who was arrested last month. Officials are probing whether Biplab Sarkar, despite being a carpenter by profession, has any connections with Bangladesh, given Bhushan’s previous involvement in producing fraudulent identity documents.
The ED is examining the travel history, bank transactions, and identification documents of Biplab Sarkar, his brother Bipul, and other family members. Mobile phone records are also under scrutiny.
Sources confirmed that Biplab Sarkar’s name emerged during questioning of Indu Bhushan Halder, a middleman arrested in April for facilitating the issuance of fake Indian passports in exchange for money.
The investigation gained momentum earlier this year when Pakistani national Azad Mallick was apprehended in connection with the racket. At that time, the ED conducted searches across areas along the India-Bangladesh border, including North 24 Parganas and Nadia districts.
The racket originally came to light through the West Bengal Police at the end of last year, which led to multiple arrests. The ED later took over the case due to the money laundering angle. Investigations revealed that Mullick not only ran the hawala and fake passport operations but also arranged fraudulent visas for individuals intending to travel abroad.
A chargesheet filed by the state police lists 130 accused individuals, including 120 alleged illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators. The police have also issued lookout notices for them.
