Ahmedabad Crime Branch detains 131 Bangladeshi nationals in citywide drive
Synopsis
In one of the largest single-day actions of its kind this year, Ahmedabad Crime Branch confirmed 131 Bangladeshi nationals out of 291 detained across Narol, Vatva, Naroda, and Sarkhej. With another 160 still under verification and fake Aadhaar-PAN trails under examination, the drive signals a sharper Gujarat push on undocumented residency clusters.
Key Takeaways
Ahmedabad Crime Branch detained 131 Bangladeshi nationals in a citywide verification drive on 3 June .
160 more persons are under questioning out of 291 detained , per Joint CP (Crime) Sharad Singhal .
The drive covered Narol, Vatva, Naroda, Danilimda, Sola, and Sarkhej .
In April 2024 , over 1,000 suspected illegal Bangladeshi nationals were detained across Ahmedabad and Surat.
Investigators are examining suspected fake Aadhaar and PAN cards linked to past forgery and trafficking probes.
The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has detained 131 individuals identified as Bangladeshi nationals during a large-scale verification drive across multiple parts of the city, while another 160 persons remain under questioning, police officials said on Wednesday, 3 June. The operation, spanning several densely populated localities, is part of an ongoing crackdown on suspected illegal immigrants in Gujarat.
Where the drive was conducted
Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sharad Singhal said the operation was not confined to a single locality but was carried out across several residential pockets, including Narol, Vatva, Naroda, Danilimda, Sola, and Sarkhej.
“131 confirmed out of 291,” Singhal said, adding that the remaining individuals are undergoing documentation checks and identity verification.
What happens to the detained
According to police, those detained have been brought to the Crime Branch for questioning, with inter-agency coordination underway to verify documents and immigration status. Officials said the action is part of periodic verification exercises targeting suspected undocumented foreign nationals residing in Ahmedabad.
Part of a wider Gujarat pattern
The latest operation comes amid a series of similar enforcement drives across Gujarat in recent years. In April 2024, Gujarat Police reportedly detained over 1,000 suspected illegal Bangladeshi nationals across Ahmedabad and Surat in a coordinated pre-dawn crackdown, following intelligence inputs on alleged illegal residency clusters.
In another operation in 2024, the Ahmedabad Crime Branch detained 48 Bangladeshi nationals during raids linked to alleged forgery and human trafficking networks. Officials said fake identity documents, including Aadhaar and PAN cards, were being examined as part of the probe.
Deportation trail
Earlier enforcement actions have resulted in deportations after prolonged legal processes. In one such case, 16 Bangladeshi nationals were deported from Ahmedabad after detention in previous raids, with the rest kept under legal scrutiny before repatriation was completed.
What's next
Officials said the current drive is a continuation of periodic verification operations aimed at identifying undocumented foreign nationals and examining suspected cases of forged identity usage. Further detentions and deportation proceedings are likely as the document verification of the remaining detainees progresses.
Point of View
Document-check-later. The recurring discovery of fake Aadhaar and PAN cards in such drives raises an uncomfortable question that mainstream coverage rarely presses: how are undocumented nationals repeatedly clearing India's own identity gatekeepers? Until enrolment-side accountability catches up with enforcement-side action, each crackdown will read as a symptom, not a fix. Deportation timelines, often stretching years, further blunt the deterrent effect these drives are meant to project.
NationPress
11 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Bangladeshi nationals were detained in the Ahmedabad drive?
The Ahmedabad Crime Branch confirmed 131 Bangladeshi nationals out of 291 individuals detained in a citywide verification drive on 3 June. Another 160 persons remain under documentation checks and identity verification.
Which areas were covered in the verification drive?
The operation spanned several densely populated localities including Narol, Vatva, Naroda, Danilimda, Sola, and Sarkhej. Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sharad Singhal said it was not confined to any single locality.
What happens to the detained individuals next?
They have been brought to the Crime Branch for questioning, with inter-agency coordination underway to verify documents and immigration status. Past cases have led to deportation after prolonged legal processes.
How does this compare with earlier crackdowns in Gujarat?
In April 2024, Gujarat Police reportedly detained over 1,000 suspected illegal Bangladeshi nationals across Ahmedabad and Surat in a coordinated pre-dawn operation. A separate 2024 raid led to the detention of 48 Bangladeshi nationals linked to alleged forgery and human trafficking networks.
Are fake identity documents part of the investigation?
Yes. Officials said suspected fake Aadhaar and PAN cards are being examined, continuing a pattern seen in earlier Ahmedabad operations where forged identity documents surfaced during probes.
