Racket facilitating entry of Bangladeshi nationals busted in Delhi, 4 held

New Delhi, Jan 2 (PTI) Delhi Police said it has uncovered a large-scale illegal immigration racket involving Bangladeshi nationals and arrested four people, including two persons from the neighbouring country who allegedly entered India illegally, an official said on Thursday.

The other two arrested are accused of facilitating the Bangladeshi nationals’ unlawful immigration and document fabrication.

The immigration racket involved handlers in Bangladesh and India who handled transportation and others in India who helped forge fake documents for their stay in India.

Police have also seized fake Aadhaar and PAN cards, Indian passport applications, and other documents. Police said they have also discovered “donkey routes” via Meghalaya and Assam in the border states that the two foreign nationals used.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Southern Range) Sanjay Kumar Jain said Delhi Police has apprehended two Bangladeshi nationals — Bilal Hosen and his wife Sapna — along with two Indian nationals — Aminur Ishlam and Ashish Mehra.

Investigation revealed that a well-organised network facilitated the illegal entry of Bangladeshi nationals into India, Jain said.

The immigrants, guided by the Bangladeshi handlers, crossed the jungle border between Durgapur in Bangladesh and Baghmara in Meghalaya on foot.

“Indian handlers then transported them to Krishnai and New Bongaigaon railway stations in Assam before they continued their journey to metropolitan cities like Delhi and Kolkata,” the Joint CP said.

Police said the immigrants used buses, trains and forged documents to evade detection. Key facilitators provided logistical support, including transportation, fake IDs, and SIM cards. The arrested individuals confessed to charging between Rs 4,000 and Rs 5,000 per Aadhaar card, they said.

Police said Bilal Hosen (28) entered India via the Meghalaya-Assam border in 2022 and settled in Delhi with his wife. He used to run a cosmetic shop and beauty parlour in Gurugram. He allegedly acquired fake Aadhaar and PAN cards to be able to live in India.

His 23-year-old wife previously worked in a garment factory in Bangladesh. She crossed the border with Hosen and forged documents to be able to settle in the country.

Assam resident Aminur Ishlam (37), police said, allegedly used to facilitate the transportation of illegal immigrants from the border to railway stations. He would allegedly collaborate with Bangladeshi accomplices, and provide transportation and fake documents, police said.

Gurugram resident Ashish Mehra (23)is accused of fabricating Aadhaar cards using other fake documents. Mehra worked with an authorised Aadhaar operator and charged fees for the work.

Delhi Police has decided to revamp the Bangladeshi Cell in all the police stations of the Southern Range, Joint CP Jain said.

In December, Southern Range police arrested 12 Bangladeshi individuals, including seven Bangladeshi nationals who were apprehended at Arjangarh Metro Station on December 28 and deported through the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), he said.

“Hosen was arrested near Aya Nagar signal with forged Indian documents and further interrogation led to the arrests of his wife, Ashish Mehra and Aminur Ishlam. A search of their residences yielded more forged documents and banking materials,” he said.

Police added that they deported 31 African nationals last year.