30 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants arrested in two weeks: 2 out of 8 arrested in Kandivali had Aadhaar cards
Two of the accused had an Indian PAN card and Aadhaar card (Representational Image, Courtesy: Saurabh Lokhande)
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Sunday arrested eight Bangladeshi nationals, who were staying illegally in India without any valid documents, from Mumbai’s Kandivali area.
On receiving specific information about illegal migrants in Kandivali’s Laljipada area, the Charkop unit of the ATS conducted a search in the area and apprehended them.
Following an inquiry, the arrested people confessed to being Bangladeshi nationals and that they were living illegally. All eight were residents of Jessore district in Bangladesh.
An Indian PAN card and Aadhaar card were also seized from two of the accused.
Their interrogation led the ATS to an Indian national, who had allegedly helped them secure jobs in workshops where electronic appliances were assembled.
Officials have not ruled out the possibility of the West Bengal-native’s involvement in helping the immigrants in entering the country.
The accused were booked under relevant sections of the Passport (Entry Into India) Rules, the Foreigners Act and the Indian Penal Code and subsequently remanded to police custody up to March 31.
Further investigation is in progress to detect any terror links to Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh or the Ansarullah Bangla Team.
The arrests come amid Maharashtra ATS’ crackdown on illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. Since March 13, the ATS has reportedly arrested 30 Bangladeshi nationals staying in the country illegally.
Major Arrests:
March 23: Thane unit of the ATS arrested six Bangladeshi nationals from Bhiwandi on a tip-off. The immigrants hailed from districts like Faridpur, Chhattagram, and Navkhali and were working as daily wage labourers.
March 17: An ATS team in Pune arrested three Bangladeshi nations who were alleged to be members of the Ansarullah Bangla Team, which is linked to Al-Qaeda.
March 13: Mumbai unit of the ATS arrested five alleged illegal immigrants from Jui Gaon in Raigad district.
