Kerala -- Police have uncovered one of the country’s largest fake degree rackets, arresting 11 people from multiple states and exposing a sophisticated network that may have issued counterfeit university certificates to more than 10 lakh persons across India.

The kingpin, Dhaneesh alias Dany, who had earlier been arrested in 2013 for similar offences, is accused of rebuilding and vastly expanding the operation after completing his jail term. Police said he ran the racket from a rented house in Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, where he set up a clandestine printing press capable of producing high-quality fake academic documents.

A Multi-State Operation With Professional Printing Support

According to investigators, Dhaneesh employed skilled workers from Sivakasi, known for its printing industry, and coordinated with a wide network of agents operating across Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, Delhi and West Bengal.

The arrested individuals include Irshad, Rahul, Nissar, Jaseem, Shafeeq (40), Ratheesh (38), Afsal (31)

Each played specific roles, from printing and transporting fake certificates to distributing them through recruitment agencies targeting job seekers, especially those seeking overseas employment.

Certificates Routed Through Bengaluru for Secrecy

Police said certificates were printed with names of well-known universities and later customised with candidate details. To avoid detection, the documents were first sent to Bengaluru, then redistributed to agents in different states. Investigators seized hundreds of printers, computers, forged holograms, seals and stamps from Pollachi, Sivakasi, and other locations.

Nearly 1 lakh fake certificates linked to 22 universities outside Kerala were recovered.

Police said Dhaneesh used the profits to finance a luxurious lifestyle, purchasing a luxury residence in Malappuram, two five-star bars, apartments in Pune, and investments in Middle East businesses.

Each certificate reportedly sold for ₹75,000 to ₹1.5 lakh, allowing the accused to earn crores.

Dhaneesh was arrested in Kozhikode while attempting to flee abroad with his family. Jaseem, the transporter of the certificates, was arrested in Bengaluru, while several printing workers were detained in Sivakasi and Pollachi.

Tamil Nadu Leg of the Operation: Arrests in Sivakasi

In a coordinated crackdown, Kerala Police arrested three suspects in Sivakasi, Virudhunagar district, who were printing fake degrees and supplying them to passport holders seeking overseas jobs.

The arrested were identified as Jainulabdeen (40), son of Fakrudeen, Venkatesh (24), son of Selvam Kuppusami, and Aravind Kumar (24), son of Kanagaraj.

A computer, forged seals and fake certificates were seized. The trio were produced before a local magistrate and later handed over to Kerala Police for further investigation.

Universities to Verify Seized Certificates; Job Fraud Also Under Scanner

Police are now investigating whether any officials from the universities named on the certificates leaked templates or sensitive formats to the racketeers. The seized certificates will be forwarded to respective universities for verification.

Authorities are also tracking individuals who used these fake certificates to secure jobs, both in India and abroad.