Over 50,000 Infiltrators in Kerala with Fake Aadhaar Cards, Raising Security Concerns

A recent report by Onmanorama, citing Military Intelligence, has revealed a startling discovery: over 50,000 individuals from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar are residing in Kerala using fraudulent Aadhaar cards. The report highlights a network of compromised Aadhaar centers across Assam, West Bengal, and Kerala that were exploited to create these fake IDs.

This revelation has heightened security concerns, prompting the Border Security Force (BSF) and Indian Coast Guard to intensify monitoring in border and coastal states. Interestingly, this isn't the first time such a situation has been brought to light. A year prior, central intelligence services had warned of foreigners using fake Aadhaar cards to enter Kerala.

The investigation has uncovered several instances of fraud, including a case where 50 Aadhaar cards were created using compromised systems in Malappuram, Kerala. It was also discovered that fake Aadhaar centers in Perumbavoor's "bhai markets" were producing counterfeit cards using the same photographs but with different names and addresses.

The Kerala police's anti-terrorism unit recently found several fake Aadhaar cards, underscoring the severity of the issue. The Aadhaar Act of 2016 imposes penalties for forging or misusing Aadhaar cards, with fines ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 1 lakh and a maximum prison sentence of three years.

A Wider Problem​

The use of fake Aadhaar cards is not limited to infiltrators. The report also mentions that Indian nationals facing criminal charges are creating fake IDs to escape the country. This further complicates the issue and raises questions about the security of the Aadhaar system itself.

In a related development, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) recently filed chargesheets against three Bangladeshi citizens involved in a human trafficking network that used fake Indian documents to conceal their identities. This case highlights the broader problem of fake IDs and their use in illegal activities.

Concerns and Implications​

The discovery of such a large number of infiltrators with fake Aadhaar cards raises significant concerns about national security and the integrity of the Aadhaar system. It also underscores the need for stricter measures to prevent the misuse of Aadhaar and to identify and prosecute those involved in creating and using fake IDs.

The government has already taken steps to address this issue by increasing monitoring and cracking down on fake Aadhaar centers. However, more needs to be done to ensure the security and integrity of the Aadhaar system, which is a crucial part of India's digital infrastructure.

The use of fake Aadhaar cards is a complex issue with far-reaching implications. It's a problem that requires a multi-faceted approach, involving not just stricter law enforcement but also improvements in technology, awareness, and public cooperation. Only then can we hope to tackle this problem effectively and ensure the security and integrity of our national identity system.

 

[Baiju Bhaskaran]

Why is MI disclosing such things. If any one posses threat to national security, they should be eliminated secretly.

 

[SuryaK]

These are there in all major cities living in slums and mostly hawkers or working with their own communities 🫢 Everything available for a price apparently.

 

[Utopian]

There was a video a college student asking police commissioner. Sir if I need drugs, I can find drug peddler around my college campus, and you are police, but you can't find him.
That means your police is useless.
It is true for indian agencies.
If someone want fake documents, they can get it easily, but police can't find.. why???

 

[Bhishma]

Aadhar was never a citizenship proof. Its only identity proof. Even if they enrolled, through humint, we need to track them down. Once they are in the aadhar system, it will be difficult for them to evade. All their cell phone, bank accounts can be tracked. So what we need is humint penetration into criminal/terrorist networks. Issuing Aadhar is never a promise of issuing citizenship. That being said, we need to take humanitarian approach to decide if we want to award citizenship to refugees or not. We definitely dont want to be like some neighbours who kicked out 1.4M refugees. Refugees are welcome, criminals/terrorists are not.

 

[Mason11]

In major cities, many slum-dwellers work as hawkers or within their communities, offering various services or goods—often for a price, creating a hidden economy.