A total of 1,024 Bangladeshi nationals, including women and children, have been detained in India’s Gujarat, according to the state police.
The arrests were made during a major crackdown in Ahmedabad and Surat on Friday night, the Hindustan Times reported.
At a press conference in Ahmedabad on Saturday, Gujarat’s police chief Vikas Sahay said the operation was a necessary step in the state’s efforts to curb illegal infiltration and related criminal activities.
Gujarat’s Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi described it as the largest operation of its kind carried out by the state police to date.
He said 890 Bangladeshi nationals were detained in Ahmedabad and 134 in Surat during the single-night operation conducted under the direction of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
Sahay stated that police investigations had revealed worrying criminal links among the detainees.
“Several Bangladeshis were found involved in drug trafficking, human trafficking, and other serious crimes. Of the four Bangladeshis recently arrested, two are suspected to be sleeper cell operatives of Al-Qaeda,” he said, stressing the national security concerns behind the operation.
Sahay added that all detained Bangladeshis would be deported to Bangladesh once the necessary legal processes were completed.
He also mentioned that investigators were following leads on criminal networks operating out of West Bengal, allegedly responsible for producing fake documents.
“Most of these Bangladeshis had settled across Gujarat and other Indian states using forged documents made in West Bengal. A thorough investigation into these cases is ongoing at the Joint Interrogation Centre,” he said.
Minister Sanghavi said that evidence would be provided to West Bengal authorities showing how the detainees obtained fake documents.
He issued a stern warning to other illegal immigrants: “I am giving a clear warning to all illegal Bangladeshi residents—surrender at police stations within two days, or strict action will be taken.”
“We will also take strong action against anyone found sheltering these illegal infiltrators. Those providing refuge will face the full force of the law,” he added.
