Imphal, March 27: The investigation into the seizure of forged identification documents at Imphal Airport has entered a critical phase, with Manipur Police stating that the case cannot yet be classified as an organised racket.
Senior officials said the probe is ongoing and currently focused on determining whether a larger network is involved. Based on preliminary findings, investigators indicated that the case appears to involve document manipulation rather than a coordinated syndicate at this stage. “The case is under investigation… at this stage, this cannot be termed a racket,” police said.
According to the investigation, one original Aadhaar card and a forged version were recovered, with the airline ticket booked under the original identity. Officials said the legitimate holder of the Aadhaar was close to cancelling the ticket when the accused, identified as 22-year-old Alam Azad, allegedly created a manipulated version of the document using digital tools.
The case surfaced following a security interception at Imphal Airport earlier this week. On March 24, authorities detained Azad, a resident of Lilong Atoukhong Maning Leikai in Thoubal district, along with a juvenile, after routine checks flagged discrepancies in their documents.
A subsequent search led to the recovery of multiple forged identification documents, including Aadhaar cards and voter identity cards. Investigators noted that while the documents carried different names and personal details, they featured identical photographs, raising strong suspicion of identity fraud.
Police officials emphasised that the investigation remains at an early stage, with efforts underway to examine digital evidence and explore possible links to other cases. Authorities said further details will emerge as the probe progresses.
