Alappuzha: The Kayamkulam Police on Wednesday arrested a person accused of forging a passport 30 years ago (on March 7, 1994). The accused is Shahil Hameed, son of Yosuf Kunju, of Parambil House in Kayamkulam.

“The accused was caught as part of the special drive initiated by the SP. There was some new information regarding his whereabouts and we received the warrant for his arrest from the court. When we reached the address, the person was present there,” said a police officer who was part of the team.

The case was registered against Hameed at the Kayamkulam Police Station on a complaint by the Cochin Passport Officer. A summons was issued, but the accused had absconded. Over the years, new police officers took charge and the case was simply forgotten, until now.

“The officers in charge at the time had moved on. Those who replaced them simply forgot about the existence of such a case. In the meantime, Hameed left the country and lived abroad for many years. Only recently he returned to Kayamkulam,” the officer said.

Upon returning, Hameed led a normal life, convinced that the past was behind them. However, the special Long Pending (LP) Warrant drive initiated by District Police Chief Chaitra Teresa John came as a turning point. When the police reached the address they had obtained through inquiry, they found an unsuspecting Shahil who was more surprised than anything else that the law had finally caught up to him.

The police team was led by Kayamkulam DySP Babukuttan N. It included CI Arun Sha, SIs Ratheesh Babu and Nisam, and Civil Police Officers Saju, Akhil S, Anand, Shaan, Gopakumar, Anshad, Anu and Haris. Hameed was presented before a court and remanded.