Thursday, April 2, 2026

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Man jailed for passport fraud spanning 25 years

Jahangir Alam news

A Bangladeshi man known as Jahangir Alam has been sentenced to four years in prison—the longest sentence in New Zealand history for passport fraud—after living under his brother’s identity for 25 years.

Alam, whose real name remains unknown, committed 29 offences including forging documents, entering a sham marriage, and helping relatives obtain visas.

Judge Peter Winter condemned the scale and duration of the deception, calling it complex and premeditated.

Alam’s wife, Taj Parvin Shilpi, was sentenced to 12 months’ home detention for her role in the fraud, which included knowingly entering a false marriage.

Alam, who served as president of a local Bangladeshi association, was also involved in assisting others with passport paperwork, though no wrongdoing was found in that role.

The case followed a six-year Immigration NZ investigation and will now be referred to Internal Affairs.

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8 COMMENTS

  1. Ever tried renewing an NZ passport when you can’t find the old one (moved house). An absolute nightmare. On a call for a total combined time of 3 hours and never got through. Suffice to say, A-grade bunch of muppets, this comes as no surprise.

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