In a sweeping state-wide crackdown, Gujarat police detained over 550 Bangladeshi nationals illegally residing in India using forged documents, officials confirmed on Saturday.
The coordinated operations, carried out across Ahmedabad and Surat, were led by multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Special Operations Group (SOG), Crime Branch, Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU), Prevention of Crime Branch (PCB), and local police teams.
In Surat, over 100 Bangladeshi nationals were detained during an overnight combing operation. Deputy Commissioner of Police (SOG) Rajdeep Singh Nakum said the individuals had entered India illegally and were living with fake documentation. “They will be deported after thorough investigation and verification,” he added.
Simultaneously, a major early morning operation around 3 am in Ahmedabad resulted in the detention of more than 450 suspected illegal immigrants. DCP Crime Branch Ajit Rajian stated that the arrests were part of a targeted sweep based on intelligence inputs about undocumented migrants in the Chandola area.
Joint Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch, Sharad Singhal, emphasized that these operations were launched under directives from the Home Minister, the Commissioner of Police, and the Director General of Police. “Since April 2024, we have registered two FIRs and deported 77 of the 127 illegal Bangladeshi nationals earlier caught. The latest operation led to the detention of 457 individuals,” he stated.
Authorities confirmed that deportation proceedings will follow once the interrogation and identity verification processes are complete.
