Police probes whether these men were going to Syria to join ISIS

With the arrest of five persons, including two Bangladeshi nationals, the Delhi police on Friday claimed to have busted an international racket that facilitated Rohingya Muslims and Bangladeshi nationals to procure Indian passports and genuine visas for the Middle East countries.

The Delhi police is probing whether the men being sent to West Asia through this racket were going to Syria to join the ISIS

According to the police, the arrested accused have been identified as Shaukat Ali (39) and Suleman (23), both from Bangladesh; Saddam Hussain (21); Mohammed Ibne Sultan (64) and Amit Bodh Jha, alias Bitoo. They were operating in three separate modules —one from Delhi, and the other two from Kolkata and Hyderabad, said the police.

The police said that Shaukat Ali, the kingpin, was operating from South Delhi’s Sarai Kale Khan area. One of his close associates Noor-ul-Haq, who had facilitated forged Indian passports and visas to the Middle East countries, was recently arrested by the Hyderabad police while Mohammed Hafij, another aide, was caught by the Kolkata police last month.

It has been revealed, as per the cops, that the Bangladesh module would send photographs, names of the applicants, parentage and other details to Shaukat Ali who would forward them to Mohammad Hafij Sheikh and Iman Chowdhury, both residents of Kolkata. They would then procure some Indian passports and alter its details with that of Bangladeshi nationals or Rohingya Muslims before sending them to Shaukat Ali through courier.

“Shaukat Ali would then send these passports to another associate Saddam Hussain to get Saudi Arabian visas on them, the work which was facilitated by Ibne Sultan,” said the cops, adding, “Multiple entry visas were procured which were sent to Bangladesh through Amit Bodh Jha, a courier operator.” As many as 20 persons per month were being sent to West Asia through this racket. The syndicate used to transfer money through hawala operatives in Old Delhi. Suleman used to collect money from these hawala operatives on behalf of Shaukat Ali, who used to charge Rs1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh for each passport, and the money was then shared with other members