Operation Delta Hunt: 501 illegal Bangladeshi nationals held in Gujarat
Gandhinagar, June 4
A statewide enforcement drive under 'Operation Delta Hunt' led to the detention of 501 individuals identified as alleged illegal Bangladeshi nationals across Gujarat on Thursday, according to figures released by authorities.
The coordinated action was carried out simultaneously in multiple districts as part of ongoing verification and identification exercises targeting suspected undocumented foreign nationals residing in the state.
On Wednesday, police teams, including district units, crime branch personnel, cyber cells and special operations groups, conducted early-morning checks at residential areas, labour sites and other locations flagged through intelligence inputs.
The operation forms part of a wider security and immigration enforcement framework being implemented in Gujarat.
Officials have said that such drives rely on a combination of telecom data analysis, human intelligence, and document verification to identify individuals suspected of illegal stay.
In initial phases of the same operation, authorities had screened thousands of suspected individuals and detained several hundred after verification.
Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi has described the initiative as an intelligence-led exercise involving coordinated action across police units.
"Such operations are intended to identify undocumented residents and examine potential facilitation networks involving forged documentation, accommodation, and employment support," he said.
Police investigations in earlier phases also included scrutiny of identity documents, with some cases involving suspected use of forged or fraudulently obtained Aadhaar records, and checks extending to individuals and networks allegedly assisting undocumented residents.
Authorities had also indicated that further questioning of additional suspected individuals would continue alongside verification of those detained.
The broader enforcement effort has been reported as part of ongoing state-level actions against illegal immigration, with earlier phases of Operation Delta Hunt recording detentions and large-scale screening operations across cities including Ahmedabad, Surat and Rajkot.
Further details, including district-wise distribution of the latest detentions and follow-up legal proceedings, are expected after completion of ongoing verification work.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally some action! I live near a construction site in Surat and half the workers there don't have proper papers. They work for half the wages and honest Indian labourers suffer. But I hope the state also fixes the Aadhaar loophole that allows all this forgery in the first place.
As an expat working in Ahmedabad, I'm all for legal immigration, but we have to admit that India's borders need stricter control. The use of fake Aadhaar documents is alarming. However, I do wonder how these 501 people will be treated. Will they be deported humanely?
I'm glad they're finally acting on this. But it's also worrying—my own maid in Vadodara is from Bangladesh, she came here legally 10 years ago with her husband. I hope the authorities do proper verification and don't just round up people based on looks or accent. That would be deeply unfair. 😔
Great to see our Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi taking strong action! Gujarat is safe because of such proactive steps. But let's also talk about why people risk coming illegally—poverty in Bangladesh is a push factor. India should work with Bangladesh to address the root causes too. Just my two paise. 💪
I appreciate the intent, but I wish the government would focus equally on detecting and punishing the Indian middlemen and employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants for cheap labour. They are the enablers. Without them, these networks would collapse. Let's not only target the vulnerable.
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