Gujarat man’s bid to enter US with this country's passport shocks immigration officers

In a case of identity fraud and international deceit, a man from Gujarat attempted to pose as a Pakistani national to gain entry into the US, only to be caught by Delhi Police after being deported. The accused, A C Patel, arrived at Delhi's IGI Airport, Terminal 3, on February 12, 2025, aboard flight AA-292 from the US. His hopes of starting a new life in America were dashed when US immigration authorities detained him and sent him back to India.

Indian immigration officers were shocked by the passport he was carrying — a completely counterfeit document. Upon further investigation, officials discovered that the passport actually belonged to a Pakistani national, Md Najir Hussain, who had previously reported it as "lost."

Cornered by officials, Patel confessed that he paid an agent in Dubai to forge his identity — swapping his Gujarat roots for a Pakistani persona, just to secure a spot on a flight to the US.


Investigators discovered Patel's real passport was issued in 2006 and expired in 2016. Since then, Patel did not obtain a new passport legally, instead turning to the dark underbelly of human trafficking networks, which created his fake identity and orchestrated his illegal journey via Dubai.

(With TOI inputs)