Gujarati Man Tries To Enter US With Stolen Pakistani Passport, Deported

A Gujarat man tried to enter the United States using a Pakistani identity but was caught and deported. AC Patel, who assumed the name Mohammad Najir Hussain, was sent back to India after US authorities saw through the deception, The Times Of India reported.

Patel arrived at Delhi airport on February 12 via flight AA-292, where his troubles escalated. Immigration officials were particularly alarmed that the Pakistani passport he carried was not forged but an actual lost document belonging to Mr Hussain. Delhi Police arrested him on charges of cheating by impersonation and misuse of a passport.

Under questioning, Patel admitted he had paid an agent in Dubai to obtain the fraudulent identity. Instead of renewing his Indian passport, which expired in 2016, he turned to human traffickers who arranged his illegal journey via Dubai.

"Human smugglers pick passports that are strong for getting a US visa or randomly assign some UAE citizen's passport to sneak into the US," a source told TOI.

In a similar case last month, authorities arrested a Gujarati man for allegedly using fake credentials to obtain an Indian passport before applying for Portuguese citizenship, a hyper local news outlet reported.

Karan Jayanti Tandel, a resident of Nani Daman, initially acquired an Indian passport under the false identity of Ramesh Tandel, using a Mumbai address. While applying for a Portuguese passport, he provided conflicting details, prompting an investigation. Officials discovered that he had already secured Portuguese citizenship and also misrepresented his identity to help his aunt obtain residency in Portugal.

During questioning, Tandel admitted to using a forged Aadhaar card and a driving licence. Authorities suspect he attempted to gain dual benefits from both countries, which is illegal under Indian law. Police have charged him under the Passport Act and IPC for forgery and misrepresentation.

These cases come as US authorities intensify their crackdown on undocumented Indian immigrants following Donald Trump's return to office in January. In the past month alone, four flights carrying Indian deportees - including 74 Gujaratis - have landed in India.

The latest batch of deported Indians arrived in Delhi on February 23, with 12 individuals on board. Previous flights, carrying 104 deportees on February 5, 116 on February 15, and 112 on February 16, landed in Amritsar.