In a sweeping operation described as the largest of its kind, Gujarat police detained more than 1,000 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants during coordinated raids in Ahmedabad and Surat, officials announced on Saturday.
Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi confirmed that 890 individuals were apprehended in Ahmedabad and another 134 in Surat during the crackdown.
Addressing the media in Surat after a video conference with senior police officials, Sanghavi warned that illegal immigrants must surrender voluntarily or face arrest and deportation.
He also cautioned that legal action would be taken against anyone found providing shelter to undocumented immigrants. "A historic achievement has been made in apprehending illegal Bangladeshis," he said, adding that this was the Gujarat police's most extensive operation against illegal residents to date.
According to Sanghavi, many of the detainees had entered India using forged documents allegedly created in West Bengal, allowing them to live undetected in various parts of the country before settling in Gujarat. Authorities suspect that some of those detained may have links to drug cartels, human trafficking networks, and even extremist organisations. He cited previous arrests in which two Bangladeshis were connected to Al-Qaeda sleeper cells.
The Gujarat government is expediting the necessary procedures for deportation and has launched investigations into the creation and use of fake documents. Action will also be taken against those responsible for producing the false papers, Sanghavi added.
Police forces across the state have been directed to intensify operations against illegal immigrants. Pakistani nationals living illegally in Gujarat have also been ordered to leave, following a decision by the Cabinet Committee on Security.
Director General of Police Vikas Sahay stated that the detainees are being interrogated to confirm their nationality using documents and other evidence. Once verified, deportation processes will be coordinated with the Central government and the Border Security Force (BSF).
The raids, conducted simultaneously in Ahmedabad and Surat at around 3 a.m. on Saturday, involved extensive overnight fieldwork by the police. Authorities also plan to share evidence with West Bengal officials regarding the production of the fake documents used by the immigrants.