A security alert has been issued by the Tamil Nadu police that a large number of Bangladeshi nationals settled along the industrial belt of Tamil Nadu had acquired Indian identity documents by impersonating themselves as natives of West Bengal. Some of the illegal immigrants had also obtained Indian passports using the proof of identity or address which they managed to get using bogus credentials.
Highly placed sources in the State Government told The Hindu on Friday that a sizeable number of Bangladeshi nationals who crossed over into India across the international land border in West Bengal in recent years were illegally residing in Tamil Nadu. A majority of them were employed in industries located in Tirupur, Coimbatore, Erode, Chengalpet, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Chennai.
The suspects seeking jobs in the guise of north Indians got employed in the hosiery, construction and other factories with the help of some local agents. After settling in these areas, the sources said, the foreign nationals obtained Aadhar Card by furnishing fake documents claiming to be residents of West Bengal.
With the help of Aadhar Card, they opened bank accounts to substantiate proof of local address and got a few other documents like Voters Identity card which could help in getting an Indian passport. While many were focused on leaving the country to destinations abroad, some suspects were indulging in criminal activities like drug peddling and circulation of fake Indian currency notes, the sources said.
Confirming this to The Hindu, a senior police officer said the law-enforcing agencies were aware of the threat and the State Director-General of Police had already issued detailed instructions to Commissioners/Superintendents of Police of all cities/districts to locate the Bangladeshi nationals illegally staying in their respective jurisdictions and take action against them as per law.
Steps to deport
The officer, who did not want to be quoted, said a recent intelligence alert issued by the Tamil Nadu police warned that the presence of Bangaldeshi nationals in large numbers posed a threat to internal security and advised that appropriate legal action be taken to deport the “illegal immigrants” to their home country. “A majority of the illegal immigrants are in the 20-35 age group and vulnerable to brainwashing by extremist elements. It is possible that they could be recruited by terrorist organisations to execute their evil designs,” the officer said.
In November, 2022, the Union Government had issued an alert on the illegal stay of Bangladeshi nationals in India and called upon the DGPs of States/Union Territories to take appropriate action on the illegal immigrants.
The Heads of Police Force across the country were informed of a well-organised network of local people and agents in West Bengal who arranged the logistics to the Bangladeshi immigrants to gain entry into India and acquire fake identities to obtain travel or residential documents.
The foreigners posing as Indian nationals used the documents for availing various benefits in India. They were settled in different parts of the country, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka, the alert said.
