[Reader-list] 10,000 fake nat’l ID cards seized

[Taha Mehmood]

Is this an indicator of things to come in India...

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=137362

10,000 fake nat’l ID cards seized
Staff Correspondent

Rab personnel yesterday seized 10,000 fake national identity cards and
2,610 unregistered SIM cards from two shops at Sundarban Square
Supermarket in capital’s Gulistan area.

They arrested three people — Nur Mohammad Khan, 53, owner of Grameen
Mobile Centre, and Mahmudul Hasan Mridha, 27 and his brother Nazrul
Islam Mridha, 28, who own Mobile Land.

A team of Rapid Action Battalion-3, led by Maj MM Shafikur Rahman,
raided the two shops on the first floor of the market early in the
morning.

About 1,500 unregistered SIM cards and 6,000 fake national ID cards
were seized at Grameen Mobile Centre while 1,110 SIM cards and 4,000
fake ID Cards were found at Mobile Land.

The SIM cards were of several mobile phone operators, namely
Grameenphone, Banglalink, Warid, Rabi, and Teletalk.

A network of criminals is active across the country in preparing fake
documents. Some photo studios and IT personnel are also involved in
the scam, said Rab.

Rab-3 Director Lt Col Mamun Mahmud Feroze Chowdhury said it is almost
impossible to check illegal trade of unregistered SIM cards if cell
phone companies do not assign surveillance teams to monitor it.

Criminals use unregistered SIM cards or those registered with fake
papers for criminal activities making it difficult for law enforces to
detect them.

The use of fake ID cards is on the rise due to lack of enforcement of
the law that provides for imprisonment up to seven years and a penalty
of Tk 1 lakh for producing false ID cards or carrying them, Rab said.

If found guilty of carrying two identity cards by the same name, a
person could face one year’s imprisonment and a penalty of Tk 20,000.

National ID card was introduced during the tenure of the last
caretaker government. The Election Commission at the same time
prepared voter list with photographs ahead of the parliamentary
election in 2008. Over eight crore ID cards were prepared and
distributed.

Nur Mohammad, owner of Grameen Mobile Centre, said Kamal from
Keraniganj used to supply them with fake national ID cards and
photographs.

He said he used to pay Tk 40 for a hundred fake national ID cards and
sell them for Tk 50 to SIM card traders across the county.

Nur said he had been involved in the illegal trade for about two years.

The arrestees said Kamal supplied them with fake national ID cards but
did not know where they were produced.