Gujarat Police have arrested 362 illegal Bangladeshi nationals and detained over 782 suspects for questioning under ‘Operation Delta Hunt’, a statewide crackdown carried out simultaneously across multiple cities and districts, according to an official government statement.
Among the detainees were 103 men, 188 women and 71 children. Ahmedabad city recorded the highest number of arrests at 155, followed by Surat city with 84, rural Ahmedabad with 34, East Kutch-Gandidham with 13, and Bharuch with 12. Arrests were also made in several other areas.
Joint Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch, Sharad Singhal, said the operation was planned during a meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi after information indicated that a large number of Bangladeshi nationals had entered Gujarat without a valid permit.
Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik said more than 30 teams, comprising personnel from the Crime Branch, Special Operations Group and local police units, were deployed across the city as part of the operation.
According to Sanghvi, as raids were conducted in urban areas, checkpoints were simultaneously set up at bus stops, highways and railway stations to prevent suspects from escaping. About 18 people who allegedly tried to escape were arrested at these checkpoints.
Investigators said many of the detainees entered India through villages in West Bengal state two to four years ago or earlier. Police said local intermediaries helped them obtain government documents, which were later used to secure Aadhaar cards.
The police added that fake Aadhaar cards and voter ID cards were found during the operation, and the role of trafficking and document forgery networks is now being investigated.
Gujarat Director General of Police KL N Rao said the operation was based on communications analysis conducted using data from the Cyber Center of Excellence. According to the police, a database of Indian mobile phone numbers that had active connections with Bangladeshi numbers was compiled, creating a list of more than 6,200 suspected Bangladeshi nationals.
The police said that ground operations to dismantle illegal networks are continuing on the basis of this database.
Strict action will also be taken against those who provide shelter, employment or fake documents to illegal entrants, Sanghavi said. All individuals detained for deportation are processed under established legal procedures.
