CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Q branch team and the Annur police have detained 11 Bangladeshi nationals who were found staying illegally at Annur in Coimbatore district. Acting on specific information about the illegal stay of foreigners, Q branch sleuths conducted surprise raids in a locality at Annur. They inspected the residential quarters and rental rooms occupied by migrant workers and verified their identity documents.
During the search, the police identified 11 Bangladeshi nationals who could not produce valid passports or visas. They were taken to the police station for questioning. Preliminary investigations revealed that they had reached Tamil Nadu by sea route some days ago to work at a private mill in Annur. The police have launched a manhunt for the agents, who facilitated their illegal entry. The 11 Bangladesh nationals have been lodged in the district jail in Salem, which is a designated special camp for Bangladeshi nationals awaiting deportation.
It is not the first time that overstaying or illegally entering foreigners have been held and deported in Tamil Nadu. It is believed there have been agents, Muslims bodies, and politicians to help them with their votes. They assist them in obtaining identity cards such as Aadhaar, ration, electoral identity cards, and even passports through their connections in the government.
The DMK government informed the Madras High Court last year that 237 foreign nationals were deported to their countries from 2022 to May 25, 2025, during a hearing on a public interest litigation filed by K K Ramesh of Madurai. He claimed that no steps were taken by govts. to deport foreign nationals, particularly from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and the African continent, who were overstaying. As many as 66 cases were registered against 188 foreign nationals who were found to be overstaying in Tamil Nadu. SP, security branch CID, Chennai, N Stephen Jesubatham, told the court earlier last June in a counter on behalf of the DGP. He said that according to the Bureau of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs, 17,770 foreigners were overstaying in Tamil Nadu from 2011 to May 25, 2025. Police and the Bureau of Immigration are making efforts to trace them.
In December last year, 24 Bangladeshi nationals arrested for illegal stay across the state were deported to Bangladesh from Attur special camp in Salem on December 16, who entered Bharat using forged documents and worked in various parts of Tamil Nadu. As part of a sustained crackdown against illegal immigrants, police arrested around 72 Bangladeshi nationals from Chennai, Tirupur and Salem districts since last year and lodged them at the special camp in Attur. Upon completion of their sentence, they were deported back to their nation. In the first phase, 24 persons, including 12 men, seven women and five children, were sent to West Bengal by a special coach in the Ernakulam-Howrah Antyodaya express from Salem railway station under police protection.
The Bangladeshi nationals, who worked at various places across the State, were arrested by the police, and they were lodged at the special camp. Through the embassy, the Indian government deported these people whose cases were disposed of.
