Fake passports

INDIA may be on course to introduce e-passports, with embedded microchips and futuristic technology, to improve security and make immigration clearance a breeze at border posts worldwide, but some basic flaws at the ground level need a quick resolution. The detection of as many as 200 passports made on the basis of fake documents in the region in the recent past has resulted in hectic activity to plug the gaps, and hold the officials accountable for the lapses. The police chiefs of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh need to accord due importance and urgency to the Regional Passport Officer’s letter that calls for strict adherence to the standard operating procedures to be followed for the police verification of each applicant.

A key recommendation is to visit the residence of the applicant as well as enquire from neighbours, putting an end to the casual approach of calling the applicant along with two witnesses to the police station for completing the verification process. The use of the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) has also been suggested to check the crime record of the applicant instead of checking it manually only at one police station. Haryana has already taken the lead by suspending police officials on charges of negligence in clearing applications, and ordering re-verification of passports issued in some districts last year.

A clear message of a crackdown has to go out to tighten the noose around fraudsters, who prey on the gullible and offer a variety of illegal options. The hi-tech paraphernalia found by the Special Cell of Delhi Police as it busted a fake visa racket earlier this week shows that even in this age of biometrics and advanced security features, there is no dearth of those willing to trap and those eager to take the bait, no matter the risk involved. Fast-track action could be a deterrent.