Man held in fake passport case suspected to be ‘Pakistani agent’

Gourab Neto, MP, 9 May 2025, Kolkata: In a significant development in the fake passport case probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), investigators have discovered numerous WhatsApp contacts linked to individuals in Pakistan. While probing the case the Central agency had raided eight places in the city and its suburbs on April 15. 

During the raid at a house in Birati, ED officials arrested a suspect identified as Ahmed Hossain Azad alias Azad Mallick who was initially suspected as a Bangladeshi national. 

Later ED officials found that Azad who had a Bangladeshi passport was originally a Pakistani national. During the investigation, several incriminating documents along with about 20,000 contact numbers were found from his mobile phone. 

Also the sleuths recovered several chat records with Pakistani nationals. Moreover, Azad was found to be in several suspicious groups as well. It is suspected that Azad is a Pakistani agent and was in regular contact with his handlers in Pakistan. 

It may be mentioned that in March, Kolkata Police filed chargesheet against 130 persons, including about 120 Bangladeshi nationals, in fake passport cases. 

The accused persons were booked on charges of cheating, forgery, criminal breach of trust by a public servant or by banker, merchant or agent and criminal conspiracy, along with other allegations under the Passport Act and Foreigners Act. 

Among the 130 accused in the chargesheet, 10 persons were arrested. During the probe, cops had found that a good number of passports were issued to Bangladeshi nationals by a racket in which a few persons from the postal department were involved. 

Later, ED launched a separate probe into the fake passport case. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/mamata-warns-against-hoarding-essential-goods-amidst-indo-pak-tension-609925