Mumbai police have detained Akhtar Hussain Qutubuddin Ahmed, a 60-year-old man from Jamshedpur, for impersonating a scientist at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and possessing materials suggestive of espionage. Authorities recovered suspicious nuclear-related documents and 14 maps from his Versova residence, which are under forensic scrutiny to assess any classified content. Ahmed, operating under aliases including Ali Raza Hussain and Alexander Palmer, held multiple forged identities, including fake BARC ID cards, passports, Aadhaar, and PAN documents, facilitating his deceptive activities over two decades.

The probe has exposed Ahmed's extensive international travel using fabricated credentials, including trips to Dubai, Tehran, and other destinations post-2004 deportation from Dubai for attempting to peddle classified information to Arab diplomats. Call records indicate recent communications with suspected foreign entities, prompting intelligence agencies to trace potential links to external networks. Forensic examination of seized pendrives, mobile phones, and devices revealed encrypted files and VPN usage to obscure his movements since 2015.

Ahmed's familial network has drawn intense focus, with his brother Adil Hussaini—falsely claimed deceased during interrogation—arrested by Delhi Police Special Cell for possessing forged passports under names like Syed Adil Hussain and Naseemuddin. Introduced to forger Munazzil Khan via Adil, Ahmed obtained bogus educational certificates from Khan's brother Ilyas, who remains at large. Khan himself was apprehended in Jamshedpur for supplying fake degrees, BARC IDs, and other papers, unraveling a Jharkhand-based forgery syndicate.

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Further revelations indicate Ahmed's prior legal entanglements, including a Meerut arrest under the Official Secrets Act for anti-government agitation, from which he was bailed. Despite selling his ancestral home in 1996, he leveraged old contacts to sustain his alias operations. The National Investigation Agency and Intelligence Bureau are collaborating with Mumbai Crime Branch, classifying the case as critical to national security due to BARC's role in India's nuclear program.

This unfolding investigation highlights vulnerabilities in identity verification and institutional access, with authorities vowing comprehensive sweeps to dismantle the racket. Ahmed's family faces scrutiny, while the recovered maps—potentially detailing sensitive sites—are being cross-verified against official records to avert any compromise of nuclear assets.

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