PANAJI
In a case that triggered a serious national-security alarm, the Goa Police are probing how a Philippine national managed to obtain an Indian passport under a false identity -- a breach police believe goes far beyond routine document fraud.
The arrest itself is not the story. What has stunned officials is the elaborate trail of forged paperwork, a gender-transition complication, and the alleged involvement of a Goa-based agent who is suspected to have arranged documents for jobseekers from the Northeast, placing them in casinos and possibly other corners of the hospitality industry.
The Crime Branch, earlier this month, arrested Federico Pinapin Moreno, 41, after central intelligence agencies alerted Goa Police that a foreign national had obtained an Indian passport in the name of Erica Achumi.
“He used forged documents, suppressed material facts and misrepresented his identity to obtain the passport from the Goa Regional Passport Office in 2017. He had been staying in the country without a valid visa or permission, by way of changing his nationality,” sources told The Goan.
CB now believes Moreno -- a hairstylist in a Porvorim salon known for a high-profile clientele -- underwent gender-affirmation surgery nearly a decade ago.
According to officials, the Philippines does not reissue passports reflecting a changed gender, leaving Moreno desperate to remain in India, where he had originally entered on a work visa around 2011.
“Federico underwent a sex-change surgery and wanted to stay back because her home country would not recognise the change... After around two years of trying, she managed to get an Indian passport somewhere in 2017 through forged documents,” the source added.
During questioning, Moreno allegedly named Vinit Bandiwdekar as the person who arranged the Aadhaar card, local address proof and supporting documents needed to fabricate an Indian identity.
“Every bit of this case is under scrutiny. The agent allegedly provided his own residential address, via a rent agreement, to help Moreno obtain local documents,” the source said.
Bandiwdekar was arrested the same day, with the CB suspecting has helped several jobseekers from the Northeast secure job placements in Goa.
The CB is now coordinating with Nagaland Police to verify the authenticity of documents linked to the assumed identity, and involvement of others, if any. The probe has also widened to check whether Moreno allowed his work visa to lapse before the gender transition.
“This is not merely a case of cheating or forgery. When a foreign national can embed themselves into the Indian documentation system, it becomes a national-security issue,” a senior CB officer said.
The investigation is ongoing, with officers indicating more arrests are possible.
