Gandhinagar: Gujarat Police has launched an intensive statewide drive, ‘Operation Delta Hunt’, aimed at strengthening internal security and identifying illegal infiltrators. Under the operation, 362 illegal Bangladeshi nationals have been arrested, while more than 782 suspected Bangladeshi nationals are undergoing interrogation and verification, according to an official release.

Providing details of the operation, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi said the action was launched under the state government’s zero-tolerance policy on national security. He stated that strict action is being taken against illegal Bangladeshi nationals and infiltrators who have crossed international and state borders and taken shelter in Gujarat. Those found residing illegally are being identified, brought under the legal process, and processed for deportation.

Of the 362 persons apprehended so far, 103 are men, 188 women, and 71 children. Ahmedabad city recorded the highest number of arrests at 155, followed by 84 in Surat city, 34 in Ahmedabad rural, 13 in East Kutch-Gandhidham, and 12 in Bharuch, with the remaining arrests spread across other districts. Police have also identified more than 782 suspected Bangladeshi nationals, who are currently undergoing detailed verification.

Sanghavi said police teams are using technology and human intelligence to identify not only illegal immigrants but also local agents and facilitators who allegedly provided them with shelter, employment, SIM cards, and forged documents, including fake Aadhaar cards and voter IDs. Action will also be taken against those found assisting illegal infiltrators, he added.

Dy CM Gujarat Harsh Sanghavi:
Gujarat Police has carried out a massive statewide operation against illegal immigration, resulting in the detection of 362 Bangladeshi nationals living illegally in the state, while investigations into another 780 suspected cases are still underway.… pic.twitter.com/pcBPZSdJd8

— DeshGujarat (@DeshGujarat) June 3, 2026

The Deputy Chief Minister said the operation was meticulously planned. As raids began in urban areas, police simultaneously established checkpoints at bus stations, highways, and railway stations to prevent suspects from fleeing. As a result, around 18 suspects attempting to escape were apprehended at checkpoint locations.

Investigators have found that several of the detained Bangladeshi nationals allegedly entered India through border areas of West Bengal between two and four years ago, and in some cases even earlier. Authorities suspect that some obtained local documents through intermediaries before securing Aadhaar cards. Police are now probing the wider network involved in facilitating such documentation.

Sanghavi expressed confidence that ongoing border-fencing efforts by the Border Security Force along the West Bengal border would help strengthen border security and curb illegal infiltration in the future.

Describing the overnight operation as a major success, he congratulated the police teams involved and said ‘Operation Delta Hunt’ would continue across all regions and police zones of Gujarat in the coming days.

State Director General of Police K. L. N. Rao said the campaign is based on technical intelligence and field verification. Using inputs from the Cyber Centre of Excellence, police conducted extensive telecom analysis across the state and prepared a database of Indian mobile numbers that had communicated with Bangladeshi numbers. Based on this exercise, authorities have compiled a database of more than 6,200 suspected Bangladeshi nationals, which is now being used to guide field operations and dismantle illegal networks. DeshGujarat