550 suspicion 'illegal Bangladeshi' arrested in Gujarat, India

Gujarat Police have detained over 550 'Bangladeshi nationals' from Ahmedabad and Surat for allegedly residing in India using forged documents.

The sweeping operation, which took place in the early hours of Saturday, was led by multiple enforcement units including the Special Operations Group (SOG), Crime Branch, Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU), Prevention of Crime Branch (PCB), and local police teams. Officials confirmed that all detainees lacked valid documentation and had used falsified papers to settle in India.

n Surat, a coordinated overnight combing operation led to the detention of more than 100 Bangladeshi immigrants. “They had entered India illegally and were living in Surat with forged documents. After the investigation, they will be deported to Bangladesh,” said Rajdeep Singh Nakum, Deputy Commissioner of Police, SOG.

Meanwhile, a parallel operation was launched in Ahmedabad around 3 am, where over 450 individuals were detained. Ajit Rajian, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch, confirmed that over 400 people were taken into custody during the operation, based on intelligence inputs pointing to a large cluster of undocumented immigrants in the Chandola area.

“These actions were taken following directives from the Home Minister, Commissioner of Police, and Director General of Police,” said Sharad Singhal, Joint Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch, Ahmedabad. “Since April 2024, two FIRs have been registered, leading to the arrest of 127 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, of whom 77 have already been deported.”

Singhal added that the latest raids were launched after intelligence reports highlighted a significant concentration of illegal immigrants in Chandola. “We have detained 457 people so far. Deportation will be processed following verification and interrogation,” he said.

Deportation procedures for the recent detainees are expected to begin once authorities complete the necessary checks.