More than 1,000 illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, including women and children, have been detained after police carried out combing operations in Ahmedabad and Surat, Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi said on Saturday. Efforts are now being made to send them back to their country. 

In Ahmedabad, at least 890 Bangladeshis were caught, and 134 were detained in Surat. The minister said this was the biggest operation of its kind ever done by the Gujarat police. Sanghavi warned all illegal immigrants living in Gujarat to surrender to the police willingly. Otherwise, he said, they will be caught and deported. He also warned that legal action would be taken against anyone found giving shelter to illegal immigrants. "A historic success has been achieved in nabbing illegal Bangladeshis. As many as 890 illegal immigrants were caught by the Ahmedabad police and 134 by the Surat police. This is the biggest operation of the Gujarat Police against people living illegally in the state," Sanghavi told reporters in Surat after chairing a meeting with senior police officers via video-conferencing.

He said the detainees got fake documents from West Bengal, which they used to live in different parts of India before coming to Gujarat. The minister said, "Many of these people are involved with drug cartels, human trafficking, and as we saw how two out of the four Bangladeshis arrested recently worked in sleeper cells of Al Qaeda. A probe will be conducted into the background of these Bangladeshis and their activities in Gujarat." According to him, arrangements were put in place "to complete all the procedures for their deportation as soon as possible." "We will also investigate fake documents they used to reach different parts of the country and Gujarat, and action will be taken against those who created the fake documents," he added. Sanghavi said that police across Gujarat have been ordered to take action against illegal immigrants. He added that Pakistani nationals have been clearly told to leave Gujarat, following the decision made in the Cabinet Committee on Security meeting.

The minister also said it is the state government's duty to make sure that people from other countries do not stay illegally in Gujarat. He praised the Ahmedabad City and Surat police for catching these "intruders" by working all night in the field during the operation. Speaking to the media in Ahmedabad, Director General of Police (DGP) Vikas Sahay said that the detainees were being questioned, and their nationality was being verified through documents and other evidence. He also mentioned that West Bengal would be given proof showing how the detainees managed to get fake documents made in the state. "Once the police establish that they are Bangladeshi nationals, the process of their deportation will be carried out at the earliest in coordination with the Central government and Border Security Force (BSF)," he said. Sahay mentioned that the operation took place at the same time in Ahmedabad and Surat, starting around 3 am on Saturday.