Maharashtra tops the list of states where the highest number of illegal foreign immigrants were booked between 2019 and 2021. According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, 182 foreign nationals were booked during this period for entering Maharashtra using a forged Indian passport.
This number accounts for 40 per cent of the total 448 cases registered in the country under the Indian Passport Act.
As per the data, Maharashtra is followed by Tripura (122), Tamil Nadu (46), West Bengal (17) and Karnataka (14), according to a report by The Times of India.
However, Maharashtra stands at the 4th position with 61 people booked under the Foreigners Act between 2019 and 2021. This list is topped by West Bengal with 2,572 cases, followed by Karnataka with 204 and Tamil Nadu with 63 cases.
"The number of people illegally entering India is high and many manage to escape getting caught. They then manage to get hold of fake documents like PAN card and Aadhar card and begin life in India under a new identity," said a police officer.
Published 10 October 2022, 10:03 IST