The alleged kingpin of the racket that used to produce fake identity documents to get Indian passports for foreigners was arrested from Gaighata in North 24-Parganas early on Sunday, police said.

Manoj Gupta, a resident of Thakurpukur, was wanted in connection with the passport racket. He had been on the run and had taken shelter in Gaighata to evade arrest, the police said.

“He was the main man who ran the racket of developing fake identity documents. Several people worked under him and executed his plans at the ground level,” said an officer of the special investigation team of the Kolkata Police.

The officer said that Gupta worked as a travel agent but originally used to run the racket.

Gupta was produced before the court on Sunday. His lawyer said that Gupta was only a travel agent. “The allegations against my client are baseless. He is only a travel agent. The police were verifying the documents. Then what is my client’s fault?” Gupta’s lawyer said.

The chief public prosecutor Sourin Ghosal said Gupta was an accused in the case and fled from his house to evade arrest. He said police had earlier raided his house but by then he had fled.

The court sent Gupta to police custody.