Andhra Pradesh police detained 15 foreign nationals residing illegally in the Kanuru and Tadigadapa areas of Penamaluru mandal, Krishna district, on 23 May. The individuals, believed to be illegal infiltrators from Bangladesh and Myanmar, were found working at a construction site in Tadigadapa.
According to the Penamaluru Police Inspector, the group consisted of young men aged between 20 and 35, who had reportedly been living in Hyderabad for over a decade. Their presence in Krishna district came to light following intelligence inputs from Hyderabad police.
The operation was initiated after a drive taken by Andhra Pradesh police following an intel inputs from various security agencies. The arrested members are believed to be members of Balapur refugee camp in Hyderabad — which houses several illegal Rohingya and Bangladeshi infiltrators.
Acting on the intelligence, Hyderabad police coordinated with Andhra Pradesh Counter Intelligence teams and local Penamaluru authorities, eventually locating the group at a construction site in Tadigadapa, where they had been working for the past four days.
Investigations revealed that the individuals had been brought to Vijayawada by a Hyderabad-based mason for labour work. Authorities allege that the mason failed to follow legal procedures or inform local officials, raising serious concerns over violations of immigration regulations.
The detainees have been taken into custody for further verification and questioning. Police are now probing the involvement of the contractor and whether any larger network is facilitating the movement and employment of undocumented migrants.
Recently, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan asked state police authorities to strictly monitor the presence of illegal infiltrator settlements particularly Bangladeshis and Rohingyas in the state and calling as serious internal security threat. He urged them to take action and also called on citizens to remain vigilant and report any suspicious presence of non-locals in their localities.
