New Delhi:The Enforcement Bureau (ED) arrested Bangladesh national Ajad Mallik Alias Ahammed Hossain Azad, who allegedly Bangladesh citizens prepared fake Indian identity documents, including passports and Aadhaar cards. The agency announced Wednesday that the arrests were conducted under the Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Malik was detained on Tuesday after raids at seven locations in West Bengal. The Special PMLA Court in Kolkata then returned him to him for 13 days of ED custody.
During the search process, ED recovered guilty documents, digital devices and Rs 13.45 lakh in cash. The agency said Mallik is running an illegal racket that provides identity documents issued by the Indian government (such as voter ID, Aadhaar card and passport) in exchange for money.
The money laundering investigation originated from the police station filed against Malik by the Foreign Act of 1946. He was accused of leaving no valid documents in India and promoting the development of fraudulent Indian identity documents for illegal immigrants.
ED revealed that multiple bank accounts are operated under Mallik’s name and his ownership company Mallik Trading Corporation. Between 2018 and 2024, large amounts of cash were allegedly deposited into these accounts, forming a “profit of crime.”
The investigation also found that Mallik’s wife Maymuna Akhter and two sons Osama Bin Azad and Omar Faruk are Bangladesh nationals living in Bangladesh. Ed pointed out that Malik often travels to neighboring countries to visit them.
In addition to document fraud, Mallik is also accused of participating in Hawala operations and unauthorized currency exchange activities. The emergency room accused him of “sneaking” funds used to arrange illegal identity documents and providing unauthorized foreign exchange services to individuals.
The agency said further investigations are being conducted to reveal the full scale of the network and identify other relevant personnel.
