Passport on the sly for Rs 25k
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Pay Rs 25,000 and get a new passport even without valid certificates.
A racket operating from the premises of the Regional Passport Office here is offering such passports and fake documents including marriage certificates at throw-away prices.
A probe launched by the city police found the Tatkal facility to avail passports being largely misused in Kochi.
Two incidents that caught the cops’ attention during the verification process have thrown light into the possibility of terror-outfits operating behind the scenes.
The final destination of two passports issued from the RTO recently happened to be addresses that did not exist.
Further enquiry has proven that the names under the issues were unreal too.
The two addresses in mention are Ajmal, Chirayil house, SRM Road, Kaloor, Kochi; and Arif, Aisha Mansil, SRM Road, Kochi. Verifications proved that all three documents submitted by both Ajmal and Arif were fake.
Though the passport issued to Arif returned to the passport office un-served, the passport couriered to Ajmal was collected and is suspected to be in use by someone trying to buy a ticket out of the country.
Sources say that it cost about Rs 25,000 for the suspects to buy a fake passport. “We have registered a case and launched a probe, we are cautious and if terror link is established, we will enhance the probe,” said circle inspector G. Venu of the South police station.
According to the sources in the passport office, the documents were so perfect as to deceive even senior officers. The racket is charging Rs 5,000 each a driving license, voter’s ID and ration card.
Under the Tatkal facility, passports can be secured by presenting three documents confirming the applicant’s identity and it costs Rs 2,500.
By this, a person would get the passport soon after submitting the form, with police verification to be followed later.
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