International Desk //

More than 1,000 Bangladeshi nationals have been arrested from India’s western coastal state of Gujarat. These Bangladeshis were arrested in a joint operation by the state’s Ahmedabad and Surat overnight on Friday.

Gujarat’s Minister of State for Home Harsh Shanghvi gave this information on Saturday, according to a report by the country’s state-run news agency Press Trust of India (PTI).

It said that at least 890 Bangladeshis have been arrested from Ahmedabad in Gujarat and 134 Bangladeshis in Surat. Minister Harsh Shanghvi commented that this is the biggest operation against illegal immigrants in Gujarat so far.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with senior police officers of the state through video conference, Minister Harsh Shanghvi said that the state police has shown historic success in arresting illegal Bangladeshis. Ahmedabad Police has arrested 890 and Surat Police 134 Bangladeshi migrants. This is the biggest operation by Gujarat Police against illegal immigrants in the state.

He said that the arrested Bangladeshis stayed in different parts of India before coming to Gujarat. There they used fake documents.

The Gujarat minister said that many of those arrested are involved in drug smuggling and human trafficking.

The Times of India says that in Ahmedabad, the operation began around 3 am on Friday. It was conducted by teams from multiple branches, including the Economic Offences Wing and Zone 6. According to DCP Ajit Rajian, more than 400 people were arrested from Chandola area.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime Wing) Sharad Singhal said that the operation was carried out on the direct orders of the Home Minister, Police Commissioner and Director General of Police.

He said that before this operation, two FIRs were filed since April 2024, which resulted in the arrest of 127 Bangladeshis and the deportation of 77.

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