Major Delhi-based illegal immigration racket foiled
NEW DELHI: In a major crackdown, the Delhi police have busted a large-scale illegal immigration racket that was facilitating Bangladeshi nationals’ entry into India using forged documents. The probe has resulted in the arrest of four persons, two of whom are Bangladeshi nationals who had crossed the border on foot, while the other two are Indian associates who played crucial roles in making the fake documents and carrying the immigrants, the officials said on Thursday.
According to the Joint CP Southern Range, Sanjay Kumar Jain, the operation started with the arrest of Bilal Hosen, a Bangladeshi national, near the Aya Nagar red light. Upon searching his belongings, the police recovered a Bangladeshi National ID along with forged Indian documents, including Aadhaar and PAN cards. Interrogation revealed that Hosen had entered India through the porous border in Meghalaya in December 2022 and had settled in Delhi with the help of local facilitators.
Further investigation led to the arrest of his wife from Gurugram, where police recovered additional forged documents, including Aadhaar cards, credit cards, a passport application, and a rent agreement. The investigation also unearthed a network operating in Assam, which was responsible for transporting illegal immigrants from the Meghalaya border to railway stations in Assam before they travelled to other parts of India, Jain said.
Among those arrested was Aminur Ishlam, of Assam, who played the role of helping transport illegal immigrants. Ishlam provided his services in the form of transportation, SIM cards, and cash. Another individual was identified and arrested—Ashish Mehra, who works as an Aadhaar enrolment operator in Gurugram, where he helped prepare the Aadhaar cards for Bangladeshi nationals using forged documents, Sanjay Jain confirmed.
The investigation has shown that the illegal immigrants cross from Bangladesh to Meghalaya via jungle paths and are taken to Assam’s railway stations, from where they board trains to reach Delhi and other cities. It is well coordinated with the help of operatives facilitating all the processes right from crossing the border to settling in Indian cities with forged identities, Joint CP mentioned.
The operation unearthed a treasure trove of evidence, including Aadhaar and PAN cards, Bangladeshi identification documents, credit anddebit cards, chequebooks, a vehicle used for transportation, and a passport application form. This case showcases the sophisticated methods used by illegal immigration networks and the challenges law enforcement faces in countering such operations, the officials said.
The investigation is still ongoing, tracing other members of the network and identifying additional illegal immigrants who might have entered India using similar methods, Jain added.
