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Emigration and immigration

International Identity Fraud Uncovered at Mumbai Airport

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A shocking case of international identity fraud was uncovered at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, where a man was found to have held three passports and dual citizenship from Portugal and the United Kingdom, all obtained using a fake Indian passport. The accused, identified as Sameer Lakhaani, had been flying internationally for several years without detection, until he was flagged at immigration on Monday night. Lakhaani, 37, had managed to deceive not only the Indian Passport Authority and Immigration, but also foreign agencies, obtaining citizenship from two countries using fraudulent documents.

Key Takeaways:

  • Sameer Lakhaani, a 37-year-old Indian national, was found to have held three passports and dual citizenship from Portugal and the United Kingdom, obtained using a fake Indian passport.
  • Lakhaani had been flying internationally for several years without detection, until he was flagged at immigration on Monday night.
  • He had attempted to travel to the UK in 2008 but failed to secure a visa, prompting him to acquire a fake Indian passport in 2015.
  • Lakhaani later posed as the son of a Portuguese national to acquire Portuguese citizenship and a passport, using that to travel to London at least twice before renouncing Portuguese citizenship and acquiring British citizenship.
  • He was eventually apprehended by Indian authorities while travelling to India on his British passport.
  • The case is being investigated to trace the agents involved and identify any possible lapses in passport issuance systems.
  • Lakhaani has been booked under various sections of the Passport Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Statistics:

  • 8 PM: Time when Sameer Mamodia (Sameer Lakhaani) landed in Mumbai on a flight from London.
  • 7 years: Timeframe over which Lakhaani managed to manipulate three countries' systems with fraudulent documents.
  • 3 passports: Number of passports held by Sameer Lakhaani.
  • 2 countries: Number of countries from which Lakhaani obtained citizenship using fraudulent documents (Portugal and the United Kingdom).
  • 2 trips: Number of trips Lakhaani made between India and the UK using his Portuguese passport.

Sources:

  • Indian National Press (Bombay) Pvt. Ltd., distributed by Contify.com (Copyright 2025)

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