The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday uncovered a fake passport racket after conducting raids at around 50 locations in West Bengal and Sikkim, reports said.

According to sources, a case has been registered against 24 persons including 16 officials for allegedly issuing passports on the basis of forged documents. Raids have been conducted at Kolkata, Gangtok, Siliguri, and other locations since Friday evening.

A senior superintendent of Passport Seva Laghu Kendras (PSLK) in Siliguri, along with a middleman, has been apprehended, the sources added. 

The CBI team received verified information that a certain private person with the help of government officials is part of a network that helps in getting passports issued on forged papers, news agency ANI reported.