Rise in fake passport cases

HYDERABAD: More and more people withfake passports are using Hyderabad as a corridor to the West. The reason: easyaccess to fake papers and laxity on the part of immigrationofficials.There has been a dramatic rise in the number of doctoredpassport cases. Police have not yet been able to nab the kingpin, and put theblame squarely on the local agents.The modus operandi of these localagents is simple: They lure people to apply for a passport at the passportoffice. After these people get their passports, these agents offer to buy thegenuine passports for an attractive amount. After procuring the passports, theagents sell them to those in need of fake papers to leave the country. All thatneeds to be done is replace the photograph on the passport.BegumpetACP B Reddana said a large number of those detained in such cases are Gujaratis.“We arrested 27 accomplices of Ramachandra Reddy, the agent who used torun an inter-state passport racket. After that, there was a lull. But, in thelast few weeks such cases have reappeared. Efforts are being made to nabRamachandra Reddy at the earliest,’’ he said. Accordingto statistics available with the Begumpet police, 46 cases were reported in thefirst three months of this year alone. Fifty-eight persons were detained at theHyderabad airport by immigration officials. In addition, 24 agents were alsoarrested for arranging doctored passports. In 2002, 51 cases were reported and73 persons arrested for having such passports. Fifteen agents who arranged thesedocuments were also arrested. Admitting that there were minor lapses on the partof the immigration officials too, DCP (special branch) N Jayarami Reddy told TheTimes of India, they were planning to streamline the immigration set up byintroducing sophisticated equipment like machine readers to scrutinisepassports. Installation of surveillance cameras at all important points in theairport is also under serious consideration, he added. He said the departmenthas initiated action against the officials for their laxity in discharging theirduties at the airport.