A Gujarat-based couple was arrested for allegedly procuring fraudulent Portugal passports through an agent and using them to travel between India and London between 2018 and 2023.
The Sahar Police on Wednesday arrested the couple at the Mumbai airport when they tried to fly to London using the fake passports.
The couple, identified as Maldebhai Keshavbhai Madhowadiya (28) and Hiral Maldebhai Madhowadiya (30) were expected to board flight EY-203 to Abu Dhabi from Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Wednesday. From Abu Dhabi, they were to take flight EY-45 to Dublin (Ireland), the police said.
The couple, who identified themselves as Portugal nationals Mohsin Abdul Kadir Saleman and Aloyish Angela Fernandes, presented their passport, Portuguese citizenship card, etc at the immigration checking counter.
Further probe revealed that the two are originally from Gujarat’s Devbhumi Dwarka district and had travelled to London on Indian passports in 2018 and started working in Leicester, UK, reported The Indian Express.
There with the help of a Gujarati agent, the two went to Lisbon in Portugal and then managed to get Portuguese passports. Using Portuguese passports, they travelled to London and twice travelled to India, the police said.
“On June 2, they had again come to India using a Portugal passport and were again trying to travel back to London on July 12, when they were caught and handed over to the police,” a police officer said.
Police have booked the couple under Sections 419 (punishment for cheating by personation), 420 (cheating), 465 (punishment for forgery), 466 (forgery of record of Court or of public register, etc), 467 (forgery), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.