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<p data-start="63" data-end="296"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">In a major action against identity fraud and illegal immigration, the Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested an Afghan national, Sohbat Khan, in Jabalpur for allegedly running a passport racket using forged documents.</span></p>
<p data-start="298" data-end="488"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Khan had reportedly been living in India illegally for more than a decade. He is accused of helping Afghan nationals obtain Indian passports by creating fake residential and identity proofs.</span></p>
<p data-start="490" data-end="803"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Two Indian associates have also been arrested. Dinesh Garg, a forest guard currently working in the Election Cell at the Collector&rsquo;s Office, and Mahendra Kumar Sukhdan, a resident of Katanga in Jabalpur, are suspected of supporting the operation by manipulating official procedures and preparing forged documents.</span></p>
<p data-start="805" data-end="1167"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">According to investigators, Khan managed to get an Indian passport for himself in 2020 using fabricated documents. He later arranged similar passports for Afghan nationals based in West Bengal and Chhattisgarh. So far, officials have identified at least 20 suspicious cases linked to this network, involving financial transactions worth approximately Rs 10 lakh.</span></p>
<p data-start="1169" data-end="1405"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Khan had earlier obtained a driving license in Jabalpur in 2015, which he used as a supporting document in his passport application. He also married a local woman, which helped him integrate into the local community and avoid suspicion.</span></p>
<p data-start="1407" data-end="1560"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Two Afghan nationals, Akbar and Iqbal, are among the confirmed recipients of the fake passports. Their documents list non-existent addresses in Jabalpur.</span></p>
<p data-start="1562" data-end="1797"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The ATS is expanding its investigation to identify others involved in the scheme, including those who prepared false documents, arranged fraudulent police verifications, and collected passports from post offices using fake credentials.</span></p>
<p data-start="1799" data-end="2070" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node=""><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Khan is currently being questioned as officials work to uncover the full extent of the passport racket and the individuals supporting it. The case has raised serious concerns over weaknesses in the country&rsquo;s identity verification systems and misuse of official processes.</span><br><br><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">[Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed]</span></p>
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Afghan National Held in MP Passport Racket

ATS busts fake passport network in Jabalpur; Afghan man lived illegally for 10+ years

Afghan National Held in MP Passport Racket

ATS busts fake passport network in Jabalpur; Afghan man lived illegally for 10+ years

August 2, 2025 | 20:15 IST