Illegal immigration racket uncovered in Delhi; 4 arrested, including two Bangladeshi nationals

Delhi Police recently busted a massive illegal immigration racket which arrested four people including two Bangladeshi nationals who had entered India without any passport or visa. The accused had helped several Bangladeshis enter and remain in India illegally by creating forged documents and following concealed routes to avoid detection. 

Bilal Hosen and his wife Sapna from Bangladesh and two Indian nationals, Aminur Ishlam and Ashish Mehra, are among those who have been arrested. According to police, the arrest revealed that both in Bangladesh and India, a network of facilitators had coordinated efforts to allow illegal immigrants to get into the country and settle here with fake identities.

The investigation also led to the discovery of fake Aadhaar and PAN cards, forged passport applications, and other illegal documents. Police also uncovered details of secretive routes—known as “donkey routes”—used by the immigrants to cross the border from Bangladesh into India via the forested areas of Meghalaya and Assam. From there, they were transported to major cities like Delhi and Kolkata.

The route and the racket 
According to Joint Commissioner of Police (Southern Range) Sanjay Kumar Jain, the immigrants typically crossed the border on foot and, after arriving in India, were moved by train or bus to different parts of the country. Indian handlers helped them along the way, providing transportation and fake IDs to help them blend in. 

Bilal Hosen, 28, entered India through the Meghalaya-Assam border in 2022 and has been living in Delhi with his wife, Sapna. Bilal has been running a cosmetic shop and beauty parlour in Gurugram. Sapna was working in a garment factory before entering India from Bangladesh. They were maintaining their false identity through forged documents such as Aadhaar and PAN cards. 

Aminur Ishlam, 37, from Assam, is accused of helping to move these immigrants from the border into India, working with the Bangladeshi handlers. Ishlam also allegedly provided fake documents, including Aadhaar cards, to the immigrants to help them settle. 

Ashish Mehra, 23, of Gurugram has been arrested on charges of issuing duplicate Aadhaar cards for a fee. He operated with a licensed Aadhaar operator and allegedly prepared fake identity documents for illegal immigrants using bogus documents. According to the police, Mehra would take approximately Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 per duplicate Aadhaar card. 

Crackdown on illegal immigration 
This operation is part of Delhi Police’s ongoing efforts to curb illegal immigration and document fraud. In December, the Southern Range Police had already arrested 12 Bangladeshi nationals, including seven who were caught at Arjangarh Metro Station and later deported through the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO). 

Following this latest bust, Delhi Police plans to strengthen its Bangladeshi Cell across all Southern Range police stations to better tackle these illegal immigration networks.

Further investigations are currently under way. In the search operations conducted on their residences, the police seized additional forged documents such as banking materials from the accused. The authorities assured that they will crack down on such illegal routes and networks which pose a threat to national security and integrity of Indian identity systems. 

Delhi Police had also deported 31 African nationals involved in similar illegal immigration activities last year. 

In fact, as investigations continue, there will be much focus on dismantling such networks and preventing the exploitation of the system further.

Source: https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/illegal-immigration-racket-uncovered-in-delhi-4-arrested-including-two-bangladeshi-nationals/3705902/