Iranian couple held for flying with fake passports

Immigration officials at the Kempegowda International Airport nabbed foreigners, who had switched from the domestic to international terminals flashing fake Spanish passports at the immigration desk.

Golboustani Vahid (38) and Erfaneh Sadighpourahmadiyeh (27), a couple hailing from Mehran All in Azerbaijan ST in Iran's Tabriz, were flying to Malaga City in Spain on April 4.

Based on suspicions raised by the British Airways staff, Investigating Officer D K Singh from the Bureau of Immigration at the KIAL intercepted the couple and confiscated their fake Spain passports along with other travel documents.

Making Singh as the complainant, the international airport police registered an FIR under the Foreigners Act, 1946, under Section 14(a) (b), and under IPC Sections 34, 420, 465 and 471.

The couple, along with their fake passports, were handed to the airport police, who arrested and lodged them in jail.

A third unknown suspect has also been named in the FIR, as the couple claimed it was from him in Bangkok that they managed to procure two fake Spanish passports. In their fake passports, the couple's names are Andres Ramos Pasha and Maria Gomez Demirci.

Inquiries so far revealed that the couple came as tourists to India from Iran via Bangkok, where they met with an unidentified man, who made them fake passports along with e-visas and e-tickets to Spain for $3,000.

The couple reached Mumbai and headed to Bodh Gaya in Bihar on March 19. They were caught when they were flying from Gaya via Bengaluru to Malaga.

During questioning, the couple told police that they suffered from spinal cord ailments and swelling on their bodies and were travelling to Malaga City for medical treatment as it is affordable.

Due to the language barrier, the investigation is crawling along at a snail's pace. The couple has also provided conflicting statements.

The North-East police have also written to the Iranian Embassy, seeking information about the arrested couple, including their criminal background, if any.