NEW DELHI: Delhi Police has detained 30 Bangladeshi nationals residing illegally in the city's Bharat Nagar area, an official said on Friday.
Based on a tip-off about illegal migrants involved in suspicious activities including begging at traffic signals, a special team conducted a surveillance operation throughout May and carried out surprise raids.
"Teams rounded-up suspects from various localities.
All 30 people were found to be Bangladeshi nationals who had entered India illegally through porous borders with the help of agents," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest) Bhisham Singh said.
The officer said that during interrogation, the accused including -- 12 women, 15 men, and three children --admitted to sneaking into India without valid documents.
Many of them have been staying in Delhi for several years.
They were attempting to merge with the local population by taking up odd jobs and begging at traffic intersections, he added.
Officials recovered five smartphones installed with the banned IMO application, which the accused were allegedly using to stay in touch with their relatives back in Bangladesh.
The app is reportedly restricted due to its use for covert communication across borders, he said.
Additionally, police recovered ten Bangladeshi National ID cards from their possession.
"The arrested persons include multiple family units, with some of them accompanied by minor children.
They have been placed in detention and restriction centres in Delhi," DCP Singh said.
He said that legal proceedings under the Foreigners Act are being followed, and further investigation is underway to trace the network of agents facilitating illegal entry into the country.