Gandhinagar, April 26: In one of the largest crackdown on illegal immigration in Gujarat, police have arrested more than 1,000 Bangladeshi nationals across the state in a single day.

Acting under the guidance of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and the leadership of Minister of State for Home Affairs Harsh Sanghavi, Ahmedabad Police detained 890 individuals, while Surat Police arrested 134.

The operation is being described as Gujarat Police's biggest-ever action against illegal foreign residents.

Following the arrests, Minister Sanghavi chaired a high-level video conference from the Surat Police Commissioner's office, connecting with district police chiefs, range officers, and senior intelligence officials.

During the meeting, he instructed officers to intensify operations against illegal residents, thoroughly investigate their activities, and take strict action wherever necessary.

Simultaneously, State Police Chief Vikas Sahay, addressing the media from Ahmedabad, outlined the seriousness of the crackdown and shared operational details.

Sahay revealed that many of the detained Bangladeshis had allegedly entered Gujarat and other parts of India using forged documents created by criminal networks operating out of Bengal.

Investigations into these networks are ongoing, with authorities determined to dismantle the ecosystem enabling such illegal migration.

All detained individuals will be deported to Bangladesh following the completion of necessary legal procedures, Sahay confirmed.

Alarmingly, officials disclosed that several among the arrested individuals were previously involved in serious crimes such as drug trafficking and human smuggling.

In a significant development, two of the arrested Bangladeshis are suspected to be linked to Al-Qaeda sleeper cells.

These individuals are currently under detailed questioning at the Joint Interrogation Centre in Ahmedabad as authorities probe deeper into potential terror links.

Minister Sanghavi has issued a stern warning to all illegal Bangladeshi nationals still in hiding, urging them to voluntarily surrender at the nearest police station within two days.

He emphasised that failure to do so would result in aggressive house-to-house searches, arrests, and immediate deportations.

The state government has made it clear that strict legal action will be taken against individuals or groups found sheltering illegal residents. (IANS)

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