West Godavari Police bust fake passport racket in Eluru

Eluru: The West Godavari police have busted a fake passport racket involving surgeries to change fingerprints of accused in various cases who were sent back to India by foreign countries especially the Gulf countries. Two gangs have been performing surgeries to change fingerprints of accused and helping them to secure fake passports.

Disclosing the details of the arrests, Superintendent of Police Navdeep Singh Grewal told the media here on Friday that B Rambabu, K Rajareddy, Sk Mohammed Muzaffar, V Trimurthulu and Mohammad Zakir Hussain were involved in the racket.

He said Rambabu of Buggeswaram village in Palakole went to Kuwait in 2012 and was caught by the police there while preparing spirit. By taking his fingerprints, Kuwait officials deported him to India in 2015. When he was in Kuwait, he was acquainted with one Basha.

Through Basha, he was introduced to Khadar Basha and Muzaffar. Rambabu paid Rs 2.5 lakh to Khadar Basha and Rs 1 lakh to his associate Rajareddy to get a fake passport after operation for change of fingerprints. Taking a cue from this, Rambabu created his own gang with the help of Mary of Bhimavaram who stays in Kuwait and a private medical practitioner V Trimurthulu of Buggeswaram.

Trimurthulu learned the operation of changing fingerprints from Khadar Basha, Muzaffar and Mohammed Basha and performed the operation on five persons recommended by Mary.

The Rajareddy and his associates helped about 70 accused in several cases deported from the Gulf in getting fake passports since 2017. The police arrested all the five accused and recovered the medical kit, five cell phones and other things.