Kollam police arrest Bangladeshi national for illegal immigration, Aadhaar card forgery

Kollam: Parimal Das(21), a Bangladeshi national, was arrested by Kollam City Police during an inspection under the ‘Surakshitha Theeram’ project. He admitted to entering Bengal illegally from Bangladesh and obtaining an Aadhaar card using a fake address with the assistance of an agent, who has also been charged. A case was registered against him for document forgery and under relevant sections of the Foreigners Act.

The arrest was carried out by a team led by Shakthikulangara SHO R Ratheesh and SI Jibi Kollam. Das remains under remand for further interrogation to gather details on other illegal migrants in the area, said ACP S Sheriff. Authorities are investigating those involved in helping obtain fraudulent Aadhaar cards.

‘Surakshitha Theeram’, launched by Kollam City Police, aims to collect detailed data on migrant workers engaged in fishing along the district’s coastline, spanning from Paravoor to Oachira. Since its inception, approximately 1,300 migrant workers have undergone inspections. The initiative is led by Kollam City Police Commissioner Kiran Narayanan in collaboration with the Coastal Police and Fisheries Department.

The project collects information on workers’ residences, addresses and employers, which is stored in a centralised database. Aadhaar verification and biometric systems are used to confirm identities.