AHMEDABAD: In a major security operation following the Pahalgam terrorist attack, Gujarat Police detained over 1000 Bangladeshi nationals across Ahmedabad and Surat for illegally residing in India using forged documents.
The operation, carried out in the early hours of Saturday, saw a coordinated effort by multiple law enforcement units, including the Special Operations Group (SOG), Crime Branch, Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU), and local police teams.
Authorities confirmed all detainees lacked valid documentation and are suspected of using fake identity papers to secure residence in Gujarat.
Teams from the Ahmedabad Crime Branch, Special Operations Group (SOG), Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Zone-6, and Police Headquarters jointly raided areas around Ahmedabad’s Chandola Lake, detaining 890 suspects from 3 am onward.
Of those detained, 470 were men, while the remainder comprised women and children, police said. All individuals were cordoned off with ropes and swiftly moved to the Crime Branch ground for further verification and interrogation.
Meanwhile, in Surat, a parallel crackdown unfolded between midnight and 6 am, with over 100 police personnel deployed, including six specialized teams led by two DCPs, four ACPs, and ten PIs.
The Surat teams raided hotspots across Un, Sachin, Limbayat, Lalgate, and Salabatpura, targeting locations flagged for harboring undocumented immigrants.
By dawn, 135 suspected bangladeshi nationals had been detained.
All detainees from Surat were transported to the Police Headquarters, where interrogation and document verification procedures are currently underway.
Gujarat Minister of State for Home, Harsh Sanghavi, hailed a "historic victory" after Gujarat Police carried out their largest crackdown yet, detaining 890 illegal Bangladeshis in Ahmedabad and 134 in Surat.
"The Gujarat Police have shown the 'red eye' to those living illegally," Sanghavi declared. "These individuals entered India through West Bengal using forged documents, spreading across Gujarat and other states. Many are linked to drug cartels, human trafficking, and even sleeper cells like Al Qaeda operatives we caught earlier."
The Minister confirmed that a thorough investigation into the background and activities of the detainees is ongoing.
"My message is clear: Surrender within two days at the nearest police station or face unprecedented action That never seen before, never to be seen again," Sanghavi warned. "Orders for similar action have been issued across every corner of Gujarat."
According to Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch), Ahmedabad, Sharad Singhal, Ahmedabad Crime Branch had previously registered two FIRs since April 2024 targeting illegal immigration networks.
“In those cases, 127 illegal Bangladeshi nationals were detained and 77 were already deported,” he noted.
Police officials confirmed that the crackdown will continue in the coming days, with further combing operations planned in other districts flagged in earlier intelligence reports.