1,024 Bangladesh illegal immigrants arrested in Gujarat

Following last week‍‍`s Pahalgam attack, Indian authorities launched a crackdown on illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in Gujarat.

Indian police carried out the operation on Friday night (25 April), arresting 890 individuals in Ahmedabad and 134 in Surat, according to The Times of India.

Among those detained, four individuals were allegedly linked to criminal activities, with two suspected of being operatives of al-Qaida sleeper cells. Gujarat DGP Vikas Sahay stated that these individuals were being thoroughly interrogated at the joint interrogation centre.

"This is our largest operation against individuals living illegally in the state," said junior home minister Harsh Sanghavi during a press briefing in Surat. He urged all illegal Bangladeshi residents to voluntarily surrender at local police stations within two days or face strict action, adding that arrangements had been made to expedite their deportation.

Sanghavi mentioned that those arrested had used forged documents obtained from West Bengal to reside across various parts of India before moving to Gujarat. He further stated that evidence regarding the creation of these fake documents would be provided to West Bengal authorities.