Transparent surveillance led to arrests

Kozhikode, Nov 14 (UNI) Foolproof and transparent surveillance measures adopted by the Immigration authorities enabled the arrest of 48 passengers from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who were travelling on fake passports at Calicut International Airport this year, a senior officer said today.

The measures included screening of passports using Ultra Violent (UV) lamp and Question Devise Examination (DQX), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DYSP intelligence) K N Rajeev told UNI here.

Giving details of the modus operandi, he said the accused used to forge passports substituting photographs and seals of the immigration authorities at embassies, he said.

The accused after being blacklisted in the UAE due to their involvement in various crimes, adopted this illegal practice to get security clearance to reach the country, he said.

After boarding the flight they used to display their original passport by hiding the fake ones in toilets or in their shoes, he said.

He said the authorities had seized as many as 130 passports with fake addresses and names from passengers during the year.

The impounded documents had been sent to different passport offices in the country for action.

About 100 passports were also seized as per look out circulars issued by the IB, Customs, Police and the Embassies, he said.

The authorities had also detected 2600 cases with incomplete travel documents, he added.

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