Alleged New Jersey sex offender arrested in Chicago

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A man of Indian origin, who has a sex offender case registered against him was trying to flee the country using his friend’s passport when he was arrested at the airport.

Duraikandan Murugan, 41, has a pending criminal case in New Jersey related to alleged attempted sexual assault of a minor. He was arrested at the Chicago O’Hare International Airport on Monday, Oct. 12, 2020, during a routine enforcement interview of passengers departing the U.S., according to the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials.

While the CBP officers were conducting the routine interviews, a  person presenting an Indian passport and boarding pass issued to Elvis Dias was selected for an interview, the press release said.

During the interview, the passenger’s wallet and carry-on luggage were searched, which yielded several documents issued to Murugan. Mobile biometric verification was conducted, which revealed the subject was an accused in a pending criminal case in New Jersey.

During questioning, the 41-year old freely admitted he was Murugan, and stated he had taken the passport of his friend, Elvis Dias, to leave the United States to see his ailing father.

According to the CPB report, Murugan was held by the agency in Chicago on suspected violations of U.S. immigration law. Officials contacted the State of New Jersey, Somerset County Prosecutors Office to advise them of Murugan’s detention in Chicago.

State authorities in New Jersey issued an arrest warrant for Murugan for using a passport belonging to another to board an international flight. Murugan was turned over to the Chicago Police who will coordinate extradition back to New Jersey, according to the press release.