The Gujarat Police have launched a large-scale crackdown against Bangladeshi nationals allegedly residing illegally in the state, detaining more than 400 people under a coordinated operation called “Operation Delta Hunt”.
Addressing a press conference in Gandhinagar on Wednesday, Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi said the operation was launched against people considered a threat to national security and warned that strict action would be taken against anyone helping undocumented migrants.
“Every infiltrator who compromises the security of Gujarat will be identified, legal action will be taken, and they will be deported to Bangladesh,” Sanghavi said.
According to officials, the police detained 424 suspected illegal Bangladeshi migrants within 24 hours, while background verification and questioning of thousands of others are currently underway. Earlier estimates had put the number of arrests at over 360.
Over 6,200 Suspected Individuals Under Investigation
The Gujarat government said investigators have prepared a database of more than 6,200 suspected individuals as part of the operation. The list was reportedly compiled by analysing Indian mobile numbers that had communicated with Bangladeshi numbers.
Gujarat Director General of Police Dr K. L. N. Rao said the police are using a mix of technology, surveillance tools and human intelligence to trace illegal networks.
“In total, investigations are being conducted into the backgrounds of over 6,200 individuals,” Sanghavi said, adding that the number of people identified could rise as investigations continue.
Officials said the operation was carried out after more than 72 hours of continuous planning and fieldwork by police units across Gujarat.
This story was originally published in theobserverpost.com. Read the full story here.