Bengaluru: A large-scale police operation to identify foreign nationals staying illegally in Bengaluru has resulted in the detection of 15 Bangladeshi nationals in the Electronic City police division, officials said on Saturday, August 9.
The drive, named ‘Operation Mukta’, began early in the morning and was carried out simultaneously at several locations across the city. More than 500 police personnel were deployed as part of the exercise, which focused on verifying the identity and immigration documents of suspected foreign nationals.
In the Electronic City division alone, 23 special teams comprising 295 police officers and personnel inspected 29 locations. Construction sites, temporary shelters and other locations suspected to be used for unauthorised accommodation were searched.
According to DCP Narayan, police detained 1,909 suspected individuals in the division and subjected their passports, visas, identity documents and nationality details to verification. The checks resulted in the identification of 15 Bangladeshi nationals. Eight were found within Begur police station limits and seven in Parappana Agrahara.
Officials said the details of the 15 individuals were being forwarded to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), which will undertake the necessary verification and initiate the process for their deportation in accordance with law.
64 detected earlier in Electronic City, deported
Police said the Electronic City division had earlier detected 64 Bangladeshi nationals, who were subsequently deported.
A parallel operation was conducted in the Whitefield division under DCP Saiduul Adavat. Police teams searched areas including Whitefield, Kadugodi, Marathahalli, Bellandur and Mahadevapura. Officials checked the documents of foreign nationals working as daily-wage labourers, security guards and domestic workers.
Adavat said the verification exercise was being conducted on the instructions of the city police commissioner and warned landlords against renting premises without verifying tenants’ documents. He said 10 cases had already been registered in the Whitefield division against property owners for alleged lapses in tenant verification.
Police said the citywide exercise would continue and urged employers and landlords to verify the credentials of foreign nationals before offering accommodation or employment. Citizens were also asked to alert police if they came across persons suspected to be staying without valid documents.
