A search at Qureshi’s premises led to the seizure of 22 counterfeit documents, over 300 fake PAN cards, forged Aadhaar certificates, birth records and digital evidence from computers and laptops—all linked to illegal immigration and ID fraud.

The ATS found that several of these documents were created after using the letterheads of municipal corporators from both the BJP and Congress, exposing a dangerous breach in official channels. The names of the corporators involved are now under scrutiny, with further interrogation expected.

Sarkar illegally entered India in 2012 through a farm route, traveling via Dinhata, Siliguri, Howrah, Tamil Nadu, Bangalore and Mumbai before settling in Ahmedabad in 2015. By 2017, he had acquired an Indian passport and, in 2018, began producing fake Indian IDs from his rented shop. His associate, Shoaib Qureshi, a Rajasthan native, has been running an online documentation service since 2015.

Officials warn that passports issued through such forged documents pose severe national security threats, including risks of terrorism, espionage, illegal immigration and financial fraud. A broader ATS probe is now underway to uncover the full network behind the racket.