CCB sleuths nab Bengaluru gang involved in selling fake ID proofs

64,690 fake cards along with three laptops, three printers, and a computer used to manufacture the cards and Rs 67,000 have been seized

Central Crime Branch (CCB) sleuths have nabbed an 11-member gang involved in making fake ID proofs like Aadhaar, voter identity, PAN, motor vehicles registration certificate cards and driving licences.

They seized 64,690 fake cards, three laptops, three printers, a computer used in making the cards, and Rs 67,000 in cash.

The arrested are Kamlesh Kumar Bavalia, 33, who resides in an apartment in Gubbalala on Kanakapura Road; S Lokesh, 37, from Puttenahalli; Sudharshan, 50, and Nirmal Kumar, 56, both from Shantinagar; Darshan, 25, from Harsha Layout in Kengeri; Chandrappa, 31, from Jnanabarathi; Abhilash, 27, and Sridhar Deshpande, 35, both residents of Vijayanagar; Tejas, 30, from Basaveshwaranagar; Sridhara, 31, from Hassan district; and Lohit from Bengaluru.

“Recently the Special Enquiry (SE) wing officials of CCB got information about the main accused Bavalia, a service engineer with a private firm, involved in manufacturing and selling fake ID proofs. They raided his house and seized a few thousands of PAN and Aadhaar, voter IDs, and RC and DL cards,” city police commissioner Kamal Pant said.

During interrogation, Bavalia confessed that he and his associates made fake identities in Karnataka to make quick money by cheating the government and the public for the past two years.

Based on the information he provided, officials swooped down on the others. Bavalia befriended Sudharshan, Nirmal and the others while visiting Brigade Printers in Shantinagar to service printers.

CCB officials said they had recovered 6,240 voter IDs with names and addresses. They have also recovered 250 RC cards with names and addresses. The accused had taken advance money from people and have readied the fake IDs for issuing.

The officials also seized 9,000 blank Aadhaar cards with the government logo, monogram and design, 9,000 blank PAN cards, 12,200 RC cards and 28,000 empty voter ID cards.

“Sudharshan and Nirmal got the cards printed at Brigade Prints, while Lokesh was printing in his house,” Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sandeep Patil said. “Lokesh and Lohit are employees of Rosmerta Technologies, which has taken tenders from a few government departments to print the ID proofs.”

They stole the data from the company, sourced plastic cards and made the fake IDs. They later sold them to unauthorised people. RC cards are used in legalising stolen vehicles, while a few other documents are used in getting passports. Patil said Lohit has been arrested in the evening and he will be questioned further.

Though the voter IDs were empty, they were found in large quantities.

“We are now investigating to find out the customers of the accused persons and how much they charged to sell the fake cards,” Patil said.