The Ahmedabad Police on October 31 detained 17 Bangladeshi women who had been living under forged identities in various parts of the city’s Sola area. The women, aged between 21 and 49, were found residing in rented houses without valid documentation, raising serious concerns about cross-border human trafficking, illegal stay, and potential anti-national links.
Ahmedabad Police Detain 17 Bangladeshi Nationals
In a decisive action, Ahmedabad Sola Police Station has detained 17 Bangladeshi nationals living illegally.
Deportation process has been initiated as per legal procedure.
Strict action continues against illegal infiltration to… pic.twitter.com/bpGhdesyLS— Harsh Sanghavi (@sanghaviharsh) October 30, 2025
According to Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) H. M. Kansagara of the ‘B’ Division, the operation was launched following a specific intelligence tip-off indicating the presence of several Bangladeshi nationals in the locality. Acting swiftly, teams from the Sola Police Station raided four to five premises and detained 17 women who had entered India illegally through border agents.
“These women were found living under false identities in rented homes. We recovered documents and ID cards confirming their Bangladeshi nationality,” ACP Kansagara said. “While some had arrived merely two weeks ago, others have been staying here for up to four years.”
The detained women were reportedly working as domestic helps and labourers, but investigators suspect a deeper nexus involving flesh trade and organised cross-border rackets. “We cannot rule out the possibility of prostitution or other unlawful activities. Their interrogation will reveal whether they had links to any trafficking or anti-national networks,” the ACP stated.
Following their detention, all 17 women were shifted to the Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC) in Ahmedabad for further questioning by multiple security and intelligence agencies. The police are examining how these individuals managed to enter India, procure fake documents, and live undetected for years in Gujarat’s commercial capital.
The preliminary probe suggests that the women entered India through agents operating along the Indo-Bangladesh border, exploiting porous areas and loopholes in surveillance. Once inside the country, they were moved to cities like Ahmedabad where they lived in anonymity.
Police have also booked five house owners who rented out their properties to these women without mandatory tenant verification. The landlords are being charged under local laws for violating the police verification order, a crucial step designed to prevent precisely such illegal occupations.
“The landlords failed to inform the police about foreign nationals residing in their homes. Such negligence directly aids infiltration and illegal settlement,” ACP Kansagara emphasised.
The detained women are currently under interrogation to determine whether they were part of any larger network engaged in anti-national or criminal activity. Authorities have also begun deportation proceedings under the Foreigners Act, pending the outcome of the investigation.
“If found guilty of any unlawful or anti-national activity, strict legal action will be taken. If cleared, they will be deported to Bangladesh as per due legal process,” ACP Kansagara said. Officials have also confirmed that the detainees maintained communication with each other and with contacts in Bangladesh through social media apps, suggesting a well-coordinated network that may have facilitated their illegal stay.
In a statement, Ahmedabad Police said, “The deportation process has been initiated as per legal procedures. Strict action continues against illegal infiltration to keep our citizens safe.”
