Three Bangladeshi nationals arrested in Tamil Nadu for illegal entry, scrap yard work
Synopsis
Three Bangladeshi men who allegedly slipped across an unfenced stretch of the India-Bangladesh border, rode a train to Chennai, and quietly took up jobs at a suburban scrap yard were unmasked only after police noticed inconsistencies when they claimed to be from West Bengal. The arrests have prompted Tamil Nadu police to widen surveillance across Chennai's suburbs for other undocumented foreign nationals hiding among migrant labour.
Key Takeaways
Tamil Nadu Q Branch Police arrested three Bangladeshi nationals on 20 July from a scrap yard in Kannivakkam, Chengalpattu district .
The arrested men — Zakir Bakkir (26) , Abdul Salam Sitheri (28) , and Arif Sitheri (25) — could not produce any valid passport, visa, or identity document.
They allegedly crossed the India-Bangladesh border through an unfenced stretch before travelling to Kolkata and then to Chennai by train.
The trio initially claimed to be West Bengal residents; inconsistencies in their statements led to their admission of Bangladeshi nationality, according to police.
Investigators are probing whether an organised network or local facilitators assisted their entry and employment.
Authorities have expanded surveillance across Chennai's suburban areas to identify other undocumented foreign nationals.
The Tamil Nadu Q Branch Police on 20 July arrested three Bangladeshi nationals who were allegedly living and working illegally at a scrap yard in Kannivakkam, near Guduvancheri in Chengalpattu district, after entering India without valid travel documents. The arrests follow a tip-off that flagged suspected undocumented foreign workers at the facility.
How the Arrests Unfolded
A special team from the Chengalpattu Q Branch conducted a surprise inspection of the scrap yard premises after receiving intelligence that some workers there were suspected to be Bangladeshi nationals staying illegally in the country. Around eight migrant workers from northern India were reportedly employed and residing at the site at the time of the raid.
During questioning, three of the workers initially claimed to be residents of West Bengal. However, according to police, inconsistencies in their statements led to further interrogation, during which they allegedly admitted to being Bangladeshi citizens.
Who Was Arrested
The three arrested men were identified as Zakir Bakkir (26), Abdul Salam Sitheri (28), and Arif Sitheri (25). According to investigators, none of the three could produce a passport, visa, or any other valid travel or identity document to establish their legal presence in India.
Alleged Entry Route and Timeline
Preliminary investigations suggest the trio crossed the India-Bangladesh border illegally several months ago, reportedly through an unfenced stretch of the border. They are believed to have then travelled by road to Kolkata, from where they boarded a train to Chennai in search of employment. After arriving in Chennai's suburban region, the three allegedly sought daily wage work before securing jobs at the Kannivakkam scrap yard, where they had been employed for some time prior to their arrest.
Case Registered, Investigation Expanded
The Q Branch has registered a case against the three under provisions relating to illegal entry into and unauthorised stay in India. Police are now interrogating them to determine the precise route used and whether any organised network or local facilitators assisted their entry or employment. Authorities have also expanded the probe to identify individuals who may have helped the men obtain shelter or work after their arrival.
Wider Surveillance Drive
In the wake of the arrests, authorities are reportedly stepping up surveillance across Chennai's suburban areas to trace other foreign nationals who may be living or working illegally under the guise of migrant labourers. This comes amid broader national concerns over undocumented immigration along India's eastern border. The case is likely to draw scrutiny on the gaps in border fencing and the networks that facilitate movement of undocumented workers deep into southern India.
Point of View
Found employment, and blended in for months before a tip-off exposed them. That journey — border gap, train corridor, suburban informal economy — points to a chain of enablers that a single Q Branch case cannot fully unravel. Tamil Nadu is geographically far from the Bangladesh border, which means the real investigative question is not just who these three men are, but how deep the facilitation network runs between the eastern frontier and India's southern metros. Surveillance drives are a start, but without plugging the border gaps and disrupting the intermediary networks, similar cases will keep surfacing.
NationPress
21 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the three Bangladeshi nationals arrested in Tamil Nadu?
The three men arrested are Zakir Bakkir (26), Abdul Salam Sitheri (28), and Arif Sitheri (25). They were found working at a scrap yard in Kannivakkam, near Guduvancheri in Chengalpattu district, and could not produce any valid travel or identity documents.
How did the Bangladeshi nationals allegedly enter India?
According to preliminary investigations, the trio allegedly crossed the India-Bangladesh border through an unfenced stretch several months ago. They then reportedly travelled by road to Kolkata and boarded a train to Chennai in search of employment.
What charges have been filed against the arrested men?
The Tamil Nadu Q Branch Police have registered a case against the three under provisions relating to illegal entry into and unauthorised stay in India. They are being interrogated to establish their exact entry route and any network that may have assisted them.
Why were they not detected earlier?
The men allegedly claimed to be residents of West Bengal when first questioned, a cover that is consistent with the large inter-state migrant labour population in Tamil Nadu. It was inconsistencies in their statements during questioning that prompted further interrogation and led to their admission of Bangladeshi nationality, according to police.
What action is Tamil Nadu Police taking beyond these three arrests?
Authorities have expanded the investigation to identify local facilitators or organised networks that may have helped the men find employment or shelter. Police are also stepping up surveillance across Chennai's suburban areas to detect other undocumented foreign nationals living under the guise of migrant workers.
