Mumbai: The police campaign against illegal Bangladeshi immigrants is ongoing across Mumbai and Maharashtra. As part of this crackdown, Ghatkopar police arrested 13 Bangladeshis from Achole village in Nalasopara.
Initially, one Bangladeshi was arrested, leading to the arrest of 13 of his relatives. By December 1, 2023, the police had taken action against 413 Bangladeshis, of which 163 have been deported.
In Sion’s Antop Hill area, known as Bengalpura, many Bangladeshis used to reside. However, with intensified police action, most of them fled and relocated to nearby towns.
These individuals primarily work as laborers, earning enough to sustain themselves comfortably. In their latest operation, Ghatkopar police arrested 13 Bangladeshi nationals on Saturday, January 4.
All of them are relatives of a previously arrested individual who had entered India through illegal routes from West Bengal’s 24 Parganas district a year ago.
Acting on information received by Police Inspector Ravi Thengle, a raid was conducted under the supervision of DCP Ravikant Sagar and senior officers, leading to the arrests.
From January 1 to December 1, 2023, Mumbai police and special branch teams arrested 413 Bangladeshi infiltrators from different police station jurisdictions. Among them, 163 have been deported by Special Branch-1.
The growing infiltration of Bangladeshi nationals poses a significant challenge for the government. Smuggling rings actively bring these infiltrators into India and settle them in various cities.
A large number of these individuals reside in slums across Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, and Thane. Regular actions are taken against them by Mumbai police and other investigative agencies.
Many arrested infiltrators have been charged with crimes such as child molestation and forgery, and some have already been deported.
The Special Branch-1’s Bangladesh Deportation Cell deported 163 infiltrators from January 1 to December 1, 2023, including 143 men, 17 women, and three minors. Additionally, six individuals were deported under the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act (PITA) during the year.
