Uttar Pradesh: Kanpur police arrest mastermind Ziaul Hasan and 6 others for running international fake degree racket, links traced to Canada and London

Kanpur police arrest fake certificate gang (Image via Aaj Tak)

A major fake degree and marksheet racket operating from Kanpur has been exposed by the police, leading to the arrest of seven people, including the mastermind behind the network. The accused have been identified as Ziaul Hasan, his brothers Amir Ahmed and Hasan Asif, and four others, including Nooruddin. Investigators say the group had been creating fake educational documents for nearly 13 years and had built a network that extended across India and even to foreign nations.

Network reached several states and foreign countries

During the investigation, police discovered that the gang’s operations were not limited to Uttar Pradesh. The network was active in several states and had connections outside India as well. Investigators have traced links to Canada and London, indicating that the fake documents were being used not only for jobs and admissions but also for international travel and other purposes.

According to officials, the gang contacted potential customers through social media platforms and a chain of agents. The price of the documents depended on the type of qualification and the institution’s name. Clients reportedly paid anywhere from a few thousand rupees to several lakh rupees for the forged certificates.

Degrees from high school to PhD

Police said the group offered a wide range of fake educational documents, including high school certificates, graduation degrees, postgraduate qualifications, PhD degrees, marksheets, migration certificates and other academic records. These documents were provided without the need to appear for any examination.

The racket mainly targeted students, job seekers and people looking for opportunities abroad. Investigators found that the accused prepared documents in the names of multiple universities and education boards.

Huge quantity of material recovered

A raid conducted by the police led to the recovery of a large number of forged certificates and marksheets. Officers also seized holograms, official-looking seals, printers, computers, hard disks and several other devices used in the preparation of fake documents.

The recovered equipment is now being examined to identify more people linked to the operation and to determine the full scale of the racket.

Crores of rupees under scanner

Police have also uncovered financial transactions worth crores of rupees connected to the network. Bank accounts, property records and digital data linked to the accused are being examined as part of the ongoing probe.

Officials said efforts are underway to identify all those who obtained fake degrees and certificates through the gang. Legal action will be taken against anyone found to have used such documents. Investigators believe the case could lead to more major disclosures as the examination of financial and digital records continues.

Written by OpIndia Staff
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