Mumbai, August 4, 2025 , A 45-year-old man, Mohamad Tahir, was arrested at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on August 1 while attempting to board flight QP-567 to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, using a forged Indian passport. Tahir, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, had been working in Saudi Arabia since 2011 but was blacklisted in 2019, forcing his return to India. The Sahar police have detained him and launched an investigation into the use of fraudulent documents.
Immigration officer Ganesh Gawali flagged Tahir during document verification, noticing a discrepancy: the passport listed his age as 35, while he appeared older. Further checks revealed an old passport under his real name, confirming his blacklisting after he failed to return to Saudi Arabia following a 2018 vacation. Tahir allegedly procured the forged passport from Lucknow to bypass the ban and seek work abroad.
According to a Times of India report, such incidents highlight the growing issue of forged documents at Indian airports, with Mumbai reporting over 20 similar cases in 2025. The police are probing potential links to a larger document-forging racket in Uttar Pradesh, a known hub for such activities. Tahir faces charges under the Indian Passport Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for cheating and forgery.
The investigation aims to uncover how Tahir obtained the fake passport and whether others assisted him. Authorities urge stricter immigration checks to curb such violations. Tahir remains in custody as the probe continues, with officials emphasizing the need for enhanced vigilance to protect national security and international travel regulations.
