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The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Uttar Pradesh has arrested a Rohingya national who had been living illegally in India for the past 12 years using forged documents.
The accused, identified as Syed Hussain, is a native of Maungdaw district in Myanmar. He was apprehended by the Noida unit of ATS with assistance from the local police, officials confirmed on Friday.
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According to officials, several suspicious and fake documents were recovered from Syed Hussain, including an OPPO mobile phone, a Reliance Jio SIM card, a fake Aadhaar card, a PAN card, a voter ID, a refugee certificate, and a passport, all reportedly obtained in Meerut. These documents are now the basis for a deeper investigation into a wider network, possibly aiding illegal immigrants.
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During interrogation, Syed Hussain revealed that in 2013, a man named Habibullah from his village helped him enter India through Bangladesh, reaching Howrah in West Bengal. He paid Rs 4,000 for the illegal crossing. After entering India, he accompanied Habibullah to Gondi village in Hapur district, where he stayed in a rented house for two days before moving to Allipur village to work in a meat factory.
He later moved to Khichra in the Dhaulana police jurisdiction, where he started working in a rubber product manufacturing factory. At the time of his arrest, he was residing near Bilal Masjid in a rented accommodation.
Despite living in the district for 12 years, Syed Hussain managed to evade detection by the police and local intelligence agencies. Officials confirmed that Habibullah, who facilitated his entry, has since passed away.
The accused admitted that he got the fake identity documents made in Meerut with the help of certain individuals, for which he paid a sum of money. ATS is now actively pursuing these individuals who helped create and supply the forged documents. Additionally, the legitimacy of the refugee certificate recovered from Syed Hussain is also under scrutiny.
This is not the first case of illegal Rohingya immigrants being caught in the area. On April 29, 2024, ATS arrested several Rohingya nationals from the Khichra area of Meerut, including minors and individuals from various villages in Myanmar’s Rakhine State.
Similarly, in April 2022, the Dhaulana police arrested two illegal Rohingya immigrants—Dil Mohammad and Faiyyaz—from the same region.
Authorities believe there may be an active network operating across multiple districts in western Uttar Pradesh that is helping Rohingya nationals enter, settle, and obtain Indian identity documents illegally. Further investigations are ongoing.
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