Akhtar AKA Alexander: Man Posing As Scientist At Atomic Research Body Caught

A 60-year-old man has been arrested in Mumbai after police found that he was posing as a scientist at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), and maps, documents, fake degrees and passports were recovered from him.

The accused, identified as Akhtar Hussain Qutubuddin Ahmed, was taken into custody on Friday. 

The police found that Akhtar possessed two fake ID cards that he used to introduce himself as a BARC employee. One was in the name of Ali Raza Hussain, and the other in the name of Alexander Palmer.

Police Raid Accused's House

Officers of the Crime Branch of Mumbai Police raided Ahmed's house in Versova and found fake educational degrees and IDs, several mobile phones and pendrives.

The police also found 14 maps with Ahmed and are investigating why he collected them.

From Akhtar Ahmed To Alexander Palmer

Akhtar was under the radar of law enforcement for quite some time. Earlier, he was employed in companies in the Middle East.

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In 2004, he was deported from Dubai after being arrested for allegedly attempting to sell sensitive information about India to Arab diplomats. However, a subsequent investigation cleared him.

For nearly 20 years, Akhtar lived as Alexander Palmer and used this fake identity to travel overseas. The investigation revealed that Akhtar managed to obtain three passports in the name of Alexander Palmer. He also obtained government IDs such as Aadhaar, PAN, and a driving licence under this name.

His foreign trips have set off an alarm for security agencies, raising suspicion that they may have been linked to the smuggling of sensitive nuclear information or espionage.

During the raid at Akhtar's Versova house, the police found fake marksheets of Class 10 and Class 12 board exams, degrees of BSc, BTech and MBA, and several fake experience letters. All these documents mention the name Alexander Palmer.

Police are now conducting an in-depth probe to trace Akhtar's travels and contacts, and the individuals and organisations he has links with.