13 Bangladeshi nationals detained in Gurugram in anti-infiltration drive
Synopsis
Gurugram's crime branch swept slums and construction sites to detain 13 undocumented Bangladeshi nationals — recovering Bangladeshi ID cards and tracing cross-border phone links. With deportation proceedings underway at Manesar and a nationwide drive expanding beyond West Bengal and Assam, this arrest signals that India's anti-infiltration push has reached the heart of the National Capital Region.
Key Takeaways
Gurugram Police detained 13 Bangladeshi nationals on 16 June during a multi-day crime branch operation.
Detainees were found living in slums and working at construction sites across the city.
Bangladeshi identity cards and Bangladesh-based phone numbers were recovered as evidence.
All detainees reportedly entered India through the West Bengal border and had been in the country for two to four months .
The 13 individuals will be held at a deportation centre in Manesar pending legal formalities before being deported.
Police have urged landlords , hotel owners , and construction employers to conduct proper identity and police verification of all workers and tenants.
Gurugram Police detained 13 Bangladeshi nationals on 16 June during a targeted operation against illegal immigrants across the city, recovering Bangladeshi identity cards and tracing cross-border phone activity linked to the detainees. The operation, conducted by the crime branch over several days, marks one of the largest single-sweep detentions of undocumented foreign nationals in the district in recent memory.
How the Operation Unfolded
According to ACP Crime Naveen Sharma, police had received prior intelligence about Bangladeshi nationals residing in Gurugram without valid documents. Acting on that input, the crime branch launched searches across colonies, sectors, and slum clusters, eventually picking up individuals from different areas of the city.
'We had received information about Bangladeshi nationals who had been illegally residing in the city without valid documents. The crime branch has detained those people from different areas of the city,' Sharma said. Some of the detained individuals were found living in slums, while others were employed at construction sites.
Key Evidence Recovered
Investigators recovered Bangladeshi identity cards from the detainees and established that they were using Bangladesh-based phone numbers to contact family members back home. According to Sharma, the detainees had been in India for varying durations — some for as little as two months, others for up to four months. All reportedly entered India through the border in West Bengal.
What Happens Next
All 13 detainees will be held at a deportation centre in Manesar until legal formalities are completed, after which they will be formally deported, Sharma confirmed. Search and verification drives are continuing across residential colonies, sectors, and slum areas in Gurugram.
Advisory to Residents and Employers
ACP Sharma appealed to citizens — particularly hotel owners, landlords, and construction site employers — to verify identity documents and ensure police verification of tenants, domestic helpers, and employees. Police clarified that Indian citizens and legally residing foreign nationals are not the focus of the campaign and have no cause for concern.
Broader National Context
This operation comes amid a nationwide push to identify and deport undocumented Bangladeshi nationals, with the primary focus currently on West Bengal and Assam. Authorities have noted that such sections of illegal immigrants are reportedly on the radar of subversive elements for exploitation, according to security officials. The drive is expected to expand across the country over time, with Gurugram's operation signalling that the sweep is already reaching major urban centres well beyond the border states.
Point of View
Home to multinational offices and dense migrant labour markets. That undocumented Bangladeshi nationals were embedded in construction sites and slum clusters here points to a supply chain of illegal entry that runs well past West Bengal. The advisory to landlords and employers is the more consequential element: it shifts responsibility downstream, but without a systematic verification infrastructure, it risks becoming a compliance burden on small landlords while organised labour contractors — who arguably have greater exposure — face less scrutiny. The broader deportation drive will be judged not by detention tallies but by whether it disrupts the networks that enable repeated illegal entry.
NationPress
2 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Bangladeshi nationals were detained in Gurugram and when?
13 Bangladeshi nationals were detained by Gurugram Police on 16 June during a multi-day operation by the crime branch targeting illegal immigrants across the city.
Where were the detained Bangladeshi nationals found?
The detainees were found living in slums and working at construction sites in different areas of Gurugram . Police recovered Bangladeshi identity cards and established they were using Bangladesh-based phone numbers to contact family members.
How did the Bangladeshi nationals enter India?
According to ACP Crime Naveen Sharma , all the detained individuals had entered India through the border in West Bengal and had been residing in Gurugram for between two and four months without valid documents.
What will happen to the 13 detained Bangladeshi nationals?
All 13 detainees will be kept at a deportation centre in Manesar until legal formalities are completed, after which they will be formally deported, according to police.
What should landlords and employers in Gurugram do?
ACP Naveen Sharma has urged hotel owners, landlords, and construction site employers to verify identity documents and ensure police verification of all tenants, domestic helpers, and employees. Police clarified that Indian citizens and legally residing foreign nationals are not the focus of this campaign.
