Mumbai Man Caught at Airport with Forged Maritime Documents While Attempting to Travel to Malawi

Immigration officials at Mumbai Airport intercepted a man attempting to travel to Malawi using forged sign-on and sign-off stamps of various ships in his Indian CDC (Continuous Discharge Certificate). The accused has been identified as Krishnakumar Ravichandran Thevar (29), a resident of Ulwe in Navi Mumbai.

According to the information received, Krishnakumar had allegedly colluded with an agent named Bijendra Singh, also from Navi Mumbai, to forge stamps of five different vessels — MT Mahika, MT Blue April, MT Virginia N, MT Progress 6, and MT Danum 23 — in his seaman’s book. These fake entries were made to falsely present overseas sailing experience, thereby boosting his credentials for foreign travel.

On 1st June 2025, Krishnakumar was scheduled to travel to Malawi via Nairobi on flight KQ-203D. During the immigration clearance process, officials grew suspicious about the authenticity of his documents. A detailed examination revealed that the stamps in his CDC were completely fake.

Authorities seized several important documents from the accused, including his passport, boarding pass, e-Migrate letter, and ship joining letter. These materials are now under forensic examination.

Krishnakumar has been handed over to the Sahar Police Station, where a case has been registered against him under charges of forgery, fraud, and violations of the Immigration Act. Meanwhile, efforts are underway to trace agent Bijendra Singh, who allegedly played a key role in orchestrating the forgery.

Immigration officials have stated that such attempts at document fraud are being dealt with strictly, as they pose serious threats to national security and breach international norms.