Bangladeshi couple posing as ragpickers held in Kollam for illegal stay, fake Aadhaar card

A Bangladeshi man and his wife were arrested in Chavara, Kollam, for allegedly using a fake Aadhaar card and staying in India illegally. The couple, Milan Khan (47) and Mugal Khandal (42), were apprehended from a lodge in Neendakkara by Chavara Police on Saturday evening following an alert from Intelligence Bureau (IB) officials.

"We received an alert from the IB that the duo had been staying illegally in Kollam for about a week. During an inspection, we found that they were carrying a fake Aadhaar card bearing names other than their own, while their mobile phone contained genuine identity documents showing they were Bangladeshi citizens. They also did not have a visa or any other documents to prove they were in the country legally," a police officer said.

"On further probe, we received information that the duo have been working as scrap pickers in multiple districts across Kerala for some time," the officer added. "As of now, this appears to be an isolated case and no larger racket has been uncovered. The case will be investigated further and the couple will eventually be deported to Bangladesh," police said.

According to the FIR registered under Sections 3(1) and 21 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, the duo, who had entered the country illegally without valid documents, were posing as migrant labourers from the neighbouring state.