In a major coordinated operation, Gujarat Police detained over 550 illegal immigrants from Bangladesh across Ahmedabad and Surat for residing in India with forged documents, officials announced on Saturday. Authorities confirmed that deportation proceedings would begin once verification and interrogation processes are completed. The large-scale crackdown was carried out by multiple law enforcement units, including the Special Operations Group (SOG), Crime Branch, Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU), Prevention of Crime Branch (PCB), and local police teams. The detained individuals were found living without valid documentation, having allegedly used fake papers to establish residence.
In Surat, an overnight combing operation led by SOG, DCB, AHTU, PCB, and local police resulted in the detention of over 100 Bangladeshi nationals. “They had entered India illegally and were residing in Surat using forged documents. After the investigation, deportation proceedings will follow,” said Rajdeep Singh Nakum, Deputy Commissioner of Police, SOG. Simultaneously, around 3 a.m. on Saturday, a major operation was conducted in Ahmedabad. Teams from the Crime Branch, SOG, Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Zone 6, and Headquarters detained over 450 suspected illegal immigrants. DCP Ajit Rajian confirmed that over 400 individuals were apprehended during the early morning sweep.
Joint Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch, Ahmedabad, Sharad Singhal, emphasized that the operation was conducted under directives from the Home Minister, Commissioner of Police, and Director General of Police. “The HM, CP, and DGP instructed us to act firmly against illegal immigrants. Since April 2024, two FIRs have been registered by the Crime Branch, resulting in 127 illegal Bangladeshis being caught, of which 77 were deported,” Singhal stated. He further revealed that intelligence inputs had indicated a large concentration of undocumented immigrants in the Chandola area of Ahmedabad, leading to the latest raid. “We received information about a substantial presence of Bangladeshi nationals in Chandola. This morning, police teams carried out an extensive combing operation. So far, 457 people have been detained. Deportation procedures will follow post-interrogation,” he added. Officials reiterated that the crackdown reflects a zero-tolerance policy towards illegal immigration and vowed that all necessary legal steps would be taken to address the issue comprehensively. Investigations into document forgery networks are also underway.