Shillong, April 20: Meghalaya Police, under the leadership of IPS Probationer Ashu Pant, has unearthed a wide-ranging criminal network aiding illegal immigration, identity forgery, and banking fraud across multiple Indian states. The operation has exposed how Bangladeshi nationals are being smuggled into India and furnished with forged documents to exploit the financial system.
The investigation began on February 14, 2025, when police received intelligence inputs about a group of suspected Bangladeshi nationals travelling from Guwahati to Shillong. A swift interception at the Nongpoh checkpoint in Ri-Bhoi district led to the detention of five individuals — four adults and a child — carrying Indian Aadhaar and PAN cards.
What appeared to be a routine check turned into a major case when sustained interrogation revealed the group’s real identities: Bangladeshi nationals who had illegally crossed into India two months earlier. They had travelled as far as Mumbai in search of work and were en route back to Bangladesh.
Their admission pointed to a well-oiled network operating across state borders, facilitating illegal entry, identity forgery, and subsequent banking fraud.
The detainees revealed they had acquired their Indian documents with the help of Shaikh Mohd Mujib, a key facilitator based in Mumbai’s Sewri area. Mujib, investigators learned, had been arranging fake Aadhaar and PAN cards using forged address proofs. He worked with middlemen to traffic immigrants from border towns to metro cities like Mumbai and Ahmedabad, creating a new identity for each along the way.
In Mumbai, the trail led to Nusrat A. Kazi and Jabir Yunus Shaikh, who allegedly used these fake identities to open bank accounts for the immigrants. These accounts were then either used for fraudulent loan schemes or sold to cybercriminals for financial scams — an elaborate scheme with pan-India implications.
A special investigation team led by ASP Ashu Pant, under the direction of SSP Ri-Bhoi Vivekanand Singh Rathore, proceeded to Mumbai to apprehend the masterminds. The operation, backed by Commissioner of Police Navi Mumbai Milind Bharambe and supported by Mumbai Police, culminated in a week-long series of coordinated raids. Nusrat A. Kazi was arrested in Koparkhairane, Jabir Yunus Shaikh was detained in Ulwe, while Shaikh Mohd Mujib was arrested from Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Marg, South Mumbai.i
During the raids, police seized forged documents, digital evidence, and tools used to fabricate identity papers. All three were brought to Meghalaya on transit remand and are currently under interrogation.
According to officials, this case underscores a growing security challenge posed by illegal migration and identity fraud. Given Meghalaya’s porous border with Bangladesh, and the region’s terrain-based enforcement difficulties, the potential for further undetected infiltration remains high.
Authorities are calling for enhanced intelligence coordination, diplomatic engagement with Bangladesh, and border infrastructure upgrades, alongside stricter monitoring of document issuance systems.
The success of this high-stakes operation has been credited to seamless coordination between law enforcement agencies across states. SSP Vivekanand Singh Rathore, ASP Ashu Pant, CP Milind Bharambe, and all participating officers have been commended for their vigilance and swift action.
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