New Delhi, May 25: Nine Bangladeshi nationals residing illegally in India were arrested from Wazirpur JJ Colony, Delhi Police said on Sunday.

The Bangladeshis, without valid travel documents, visas, or permits, violated the provisions of the Foreigners Act, 1946, and other applicable immigration laws by illegally crossed into India through the Cooch Behar border, said an official of Delhi Police Foreigners Cell, North-West District.

One smartphone equipped with the banned In My Opinion (IMO) application was recovered from them. All individuals have been handed over to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), R.K. Puram, New Delhi, for deportation proceedings, the police said.

Bhisham Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North-West District), said those rounded up included four minors and all of them are from District Kurigram in Bangladesh.

The other five were identified as: Saidul Islam (45), Nazma Begum (42), Nazmul Ali (23), Azina Begum (20) and Apple Ali (19).

Acting on an input received on May 23, a police team cordoned off the targeted area and conducted a comprehensive verification drive. "Approximately 50 footpaths and 100 lanes were thoroughly checked during an intensive combing operation undertaken within the jurisdiction of police station Bharat Nagar," said a police official.

The team, which traced the illegal residents, included SI Shyam Bir, ASI Rajender, HC Vikram, HC Praveen, and Ct. Deepak, who worked under the close supervision of Inspector Vipin Kumar (Foreigners Cell) and Ranjeev Kumar, ACP/CAW Cell.

Highlighting the challenges faced during the investigation, DCP Bhisham Singh said that during questioning, the accused tried to mislead interrogators by claiming Indian citizenship.

The head of the Bangladeshi family told police that they had previously worked at a brick manufacturing unit in Mewat, Haryana.

They fled Mewat out of fear of being apprehended by the Haryana Police. Since then, they had been frequently changing footpaths and were in the process of securing rented accommodation in an attempt to blend into the local population, the police said.

(IANS)

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