Mangaluru: Mangaluru City Police have intensified their crackdown on illegal immigrants, uncovering what officials describe as a well-organised network that allegedly brought Bangladeshi nationals into Karnataka through West Bengal and employed them at construction sites. In a major operation, police detained 11 Bangladeshi nationals, including four minors, from construction sites under the Urva police station limits and later arrested three alleged middlemen accused of facilitating their entry and employment.
With the latest operation, the total number of Bangladeshi nationals detained in separate operations across the Mangaluru Police Commissionerate has risen to 17 in recent days, prompting authorities to widen the investigation into possible interstate and cross-border trafficking networks.
According to Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy, the 11 foreign nationals were found living and working illegally at two under-construction buildings in the city. Three of them were staying at one construction site, while eight others were located at another.
The detained individuals have been identified as M.D. Kousar Ali, M.D. Noor Ameen, M.D. Nahidul Islam, Humayun Kabir, Romjan Ali, Abdul Rahman Royel and Noyan, while the remaining four are minors aged between 15 and 17 years. Police said all of them belong to different villages in Rajshahi district of Bangladesh.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the group had allegedly entered India illegally and later travelled to Mangaluru using fake or forged identity details linked to West Bengal. They were reportedly brought along with labourers from various northern Indian states so that they could blend in without attracting suspicion.
During the raid, police recovered several Bangladeshi documents, including National Identity Cards, birth certificates and family-related records, strengthening the suspicion that they were Bangladeshi citizens staying in India without valid travel or immigration documents.
Commissioner Reddy said the detained individuals were working as daily wage labourers at construction sites after being recruited through agents operating from West Bengal.
The investigation soon led police to the alleged recruitment network behind the illegal migration. Police have arrested three men identified as Moyiddin Islam, Dilwar Hussain and Rasul Islam, all natives of West Bengal, for allegedly bringing Bangladeshi nationals to Mangaluru and arranging jobs for them.
According to investigators, the accused regularly transported labourers from different northern states to Karnataka for construction work. Along with genuine Indian workers, they allegedly brought Bangladeshi nationals into the state, making it difficult for employers and authorities to distinguish between Indian labourers and illegal immigrants.
Police believe the accused played a crucial role in arranging transportation, accommodation and employment for the foreign nationals. Two of the accused, Moyiddin Islam and Dilwar Hussain, were arrested in Mangaluru. The third accused, Rasul Islam, had allegedly fled to West Bengal. Acting on intelligence inputs, Mangaluru Police coordinated with Kolkata Police and successfully tracked him down.
Officials said a special team from Mangaluru has already left for West Bengal to secure Rasul Islam’s custody through a transit warrant and bring him to Karnataka for further interrogation.
Police suspect the arrested agents may be part of a larger interstate network involved in illegally transporting Bangladeshi nationals across India for employment in the construction sector. Investigators are now trying to identify other persons associated with the racket and determine whether more illegal immigrants have been employed at construction sites across the coastal region.
Authorities have also initiated legal procedures to deport the detained Bangladeshi nationals. A detailed report is being forwarded to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), Bengaluru, seeking necessary orders for their detention and repatriation to Bangladesh.
Officials are simultaneously verifying all documents seized from the detainees and examining how they managed to enter the country and obtain employment without valid immigration clearance. The latest operation comes days after police detained six Bangladeshi nationals in another case and eight more during a separate operation in Surathkal.
With the total number of detainees now reaching 17 under the Mangaluru Police Commissionerate, police have indicated that similar verification drives will continue across construction sites and other labour-intensive sectors to identify illegal foreign nationals and those facilitating their stay in the region.
