As many as 16 Bangladeshi illegal immigrants, including a minor, were deported from Ahmedabad in phases during January and February 2025, the Ahmedabad City Crime Branch confirmed on Wednesday. The deportations followed the detentions of 51 Bangladeshi nationals in October 2024, who were found to be living illegally in the Chandola Lake area of Ahmedabad.
Several of those detained were found to be in possession of forged Indian identity documents, such as Aadhaar cards, and were linked to a human trafficking network.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Bharat Patel have confirmed to Vibes of India that some of the women and minor girls in the group were victims of trafficking and forced into prostitution. These victims have since been rescued and are undergoing rehabilitation for the physical and mental trauma they endured.
Patel, speaking on the operation, said: “We conducted a meticulous investigation, which included studying area mapping data from the last 20 years. This showed how the area around Chandola Lake had been encroached upon. Although none of the detainees were involved in any serious offence, many of them had obtained fake Indian documents with local assistance.”
The ACP further explained the role of the Crime Branch in uncovering a racket that had been producing fake Indian documents for illegal immigrants.
He mentioned: “Our investigation found that several detainees had obtained fake Indian identity documents. Some of these individuals were trafficked, with women and minor girls being exploited for prostitution.”
The authorities have also been investigating financial transactions linked to these illegal activities, with funds being transferred to Bangladesh under the pretext of trade. Patel stated: “We are intensifying our probe into the financial aspects of this network.”
The deportation of the remaining 35 individuals, currently held at a detention centre in the Sardarnagar area, is expected to be completed by March 2025.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Harsh Sanghavi, Gujarat’s Minister of State for Home, confirmed the deportation and said: “Ahmedabad City Crime Branch successfully deported 15 immigrants to Bangladesh. Cops identified and arrested persons involved in trafficking minor girls for prostitution and busted a racket producing fake Indian documents for illegal immigrants. Crime Branch detained 50 illegal immigrants during a combing operation and successfully deported 15 immigrants and one minor child. The legal process for the deportation of remaining immigrants is ongoing.”
The Special Branch coordinated with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Bangladeshi embassy to facilitate the deportations.
Authorities in Delhi and Mumbai have also been cracking down on foreign nationals living illegally in the country. In Delhi, the Dwarka district police arrested 16 individuals, including five Bangladeshi nationals, while Mumbai police detained seven Bangladeshi citizens who had been living in Mahul village for the past five years.
Also Read: Gujarat: 11 Arrested for Using Fake Aadhaar Cards to Open Bank Accounts for Cyber Fraud
