LUCKNOW, Aug. 23 -- Operatives of an inter-state racket involved in preparing forged Aadhaar cards and other Indian identity documents for Rohingyas, Bangladeshi nationals, Nepalis and other ineligible foreigners learnt the tricks of the trade while taking up jobs in authorised public service centres (Jan Seva Kendras) where they obtained information about the entire process, police officials said on Friday. After this, these operatives obtained the authorized user's ID and password, thumb impression and eye scan, the officials added. The UP Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) on Thursday busted the racket after the arrest of the alleged kingpin and seven other members of the gang following a series of coordinated raids across multiple states. The forged Aadhaar cards were used by illegal immigrants to obtain passports, residential proofs and access to government welfare schemes. In many cases, birth certificates, residence proofs and affidavits were fabricated as supporting documents. The beneficiaries of these fake Aadhaar cards included infiltrators, Rohingya refugees, Bangladeshi citizens and others without valid Indian documents. Sharing more details, additional director general (ADG) of police, Law and Order, Amitabh Yash said, "Some months ago, on the basis of information and technical and physical supervision, it came to light that this group was also active in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Delhi, NCR, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Haryana and Uttarakhand." Explaining their modus operandi, the ADG said the members of the group worked permanently in authorised public service centers and obtained information about the entire process. "After this, they obtained the authorised user's ID and password, thumb impression and eye scan. The authorised laptop's MAC number binding and GPS were bypassed and Aadhaar cards were made in various states. Such people were contacted through agents who did not have any Indian documents," he said. "For them, the group used to prepare documents such as birth certificate, residence certificate, travel certificate, etc. and issued Aadhaar cards or certificates," he said. Yash further explained the system ID was misused after making dummy users and bypassing the authorisation process. "To make each fake Aadhaar card, the group collected Rs 2000 to Rs 40,000. Passports and other protected Indian documents and government schemes were taken advantage of (through) these fake Aadhaar cards. In large numbers, electronic devices, fingerprint scanners, gummy fingers, eye scan photographs, fake stamps of SDM, lekhpal and other government officials, and pre-made Aadhaar cards and documents were issued," he stated. According to the ATS, the gang was using both electronic and manual methods to manipulate Aadhaar data. Several Jan Seva Kendras, registered for Aadhaar enrolment, were allegedly misused to illegally generate or modify Aadhaar cards. Another ATS official said an FIR was registered against the arrested people at the ATS Lucknow police station and further investigation is going on. Those arrested were identified as Mohammad Naseem and Mohammad Shakib of Azamgarh, Himanshu Rai and Mrityunjay Gupta of Mau, Salman Ansari of Ghaziabad, Gaurav Kumar Gautam of Auraiya, Rajeev Tiwari of Gorakhpur and Vishal Kumar of Azamgarh. "The ATS recovered high-tech electronic devices used for forging documents, fingerprint scanners and laptops, multiple mobile phones used for VPN operations, a large number of forged Aadhaar cards, birth certificates, and supporting Indian documents," stated the ATS press note. The ATS carried out search operations in Azamgarh, Gorakhpur, Mau, Saharanpur, Auraiya (UP), Murshidabad and Kolkata (West Bengal), Lakhisarai and Katihar (Bihar), and Delhi-NCR....