Mumbai Police Cracks Down on Illegal Bangladeshi Migrants

Recent police actions in Mumbai and Thane have led to the arrests of multiple Bangladeshi citizens residing illegally in India. Fake documents were seized, and investigations are ongoing. This highlights rising concerns over unauthorized entries, prompting plans for a detention center dedicated to such cases.

Mumbai's Versova police have apprehended two Bangladeshi nationals for unauthorized entry and illegal residence in the city, authorities reported on Friday. Alongside the arrests, investigators recovered counterfeit documents from the pair. Legal custody has been initiated, with officials delving deeper into their illegal activities and the acquisition of forged documents.

Just a day prior, on Thursday, Thane Police's Anti-Human Trafficking Cell detained four women of Bangladeshi descent in the Manor Pada vicinity of Thane West. Identified as Shazida Khatoon, Shalina Mulla, Ratna Khatoon, and Reshma Dhali, these women represent the growing concern of unlawful residencies in the region.

The 8th Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Mumbai, on January 22, sentenced three Bangladeshis to prison and imposed fines after they were convicted of illicit entry into India with fraudulent documents. The verdict, pronounced by Addl CJM Kanchan Zanwar, was built on substantial evidence from the Mumbai Police Crime Branch.

An official release from the Mumbai Police Crime Branch details that investigations commenced on April 24, 2024, when confidential intelligence flagged the entry of Bangladeshi nationals without valid travel papers. These individuals allegedly obtained forged Indian citizenship papers, facilitating their illegal presence in Mumbai.

In December last year, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced plans to construct a detention center in Mumbai for illegal Bangladeshi migrants. Highlighting the inability to incarcerate foreign nationals directly in local jails, CM Fadnavis emphasized the need for specialized facilities, leading to ongoing efforts to secure appropriate land for such a center.

(With inputs from agencies.)