Mumbai Police Bust Suspected Hawala Network In Malad, Accused Held With 40 Fake Passports

The Anti Terrorism Unit of the Special Branch of Mumbai Police has taken down an international syndicate in the Malad (East) area. The alleged kingpin of a gang accused of obtaining illegal passports through the misuse of forged documents has been arrested on suspicion of funding terrorism and using hawala networks.

According to police sources, the Anti Terrorism Squad acted on intelligence information and conducted several raids of three distinct locations in the Kurar area of Malad. 

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The accused, identified as 49-year-old Mohammad Islam Ismail Khan (aka Salim Rahmatullah Shikh), was arrested during a raid, with police seizing several personal and false documents from him, including 40 fake passports under different identities.

“He appears to have systematically created false identities, travelled abroad and engaged in suspicious financial transactions. We are probing the hawala angle and trying to trace the larger network,” The Indian Express quoted an official.

Police also recovered a large sum of cash (approximately Rs 14 lakh) and other foreign currency, including Kuwaiti dinars, from the accused. Police believe the gang was involved in receiving money from abroad through hawala and illegally sending people across the border. Khan has travelled abroad several times using a Kuwaiti civil ID card and fake Indian identity cards.

“During interrogation, the accused failed to provide satisfactory explanations for the recovered items. The seizure of multiple passports and documents points to a possible larger network involved in financial crimes,” said senior inspector Umesh Patil of Kurar police station.

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In addition to various other charges under the Passports Act and IPC, all of the detainees were arrested and charged with being in unlawful possession or use of multiple Passports.

Khan was produced before a court and remanded in police custody till April 14. The investigation into this case may soon be handed over to the Mumbai Crime Branch to apprehend other members of this international racket.