Gujarat Police detain over 1,000 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants

THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK

Ahmedabad, April 26: In a sweeping operation, Gujarat Police detained over 1,000 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, including women and children, from Ahmedabad and Surat early Saturday morning, in what was described as the state’s biggest action of its kind.

Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi said 890 Bangladeshis were caught in Ahmedabad and 134 in Surat, adding that swift deportation procedures are underway.

Sanghavi warned that illegal immigrants must surrender or face deportation, and strict action would be taken against anyone sheltering them.

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He revealed that many detainees had procured fake documents from West Bengal to settle across India before moving to Gujarat.

Some of them, he added, were found linked to drug networks, human trafficking, and even terror outfits, citing recent arrests of Bangladeshis associated with Al Qaeda sleeper cells.

The minister emphasized that it is the Gujarat government’s responsibility to prevent foreigners from living illegally in the state and congratulated police forces for executing the overnight operations. He said evidence of forged documents will be shared with West Bengal authorities to aid investigations.

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Director General of Police Vikas Sahay confirmed that the detainees are being questioned, and once their Bangladeshi nationality is established through documentation and other proof, deportation will follow with the help of the Central government and the Border Security Force.

He also noted that orders have been issued for Pakistani nationals living illegally in Gujarat to leave, as per recent Cabinet Committee on Security decisions.