Bangladeshi nationals held during anti-terror op

MUMBAI: In a fortnight-long operation, the anti-terror cell (ATC) of Dharavi police arrested 11 people, including eight Bangladeshi nationals, and seized fake identity documents such as Indian passports and school leaving certificates among others.

The police got a tip off on the presence of illegal Bangladeshis at the residence of a regional newspaper editor in Dharavi on February 19. A team from the Dharavi police raided the residence of one Abdul Kalam Shaikh, the editor of Samaj Aur Gunah newspaper, and apprehended four people whose antecedents were traced to Bangladesh.

Later, the police found several documents, including Indian passports, election cards, ration cards, Aadhaar cards, driving licences. The police busted a racket operating from Mumbai-kalyanbhiwandi, who would provide these government documents.

The police seized nine passports, among which, three belonged to the Bangladeshi nationals, along with some rubber stamps of magistrate, several filled and blank birth certificates, death certificates (to change their current identities), school leaving certificates were also seized from their residences.

“Some of these Bangladeshi nationals have been staying here since over a decade. We are still in the process of verifying their backgrounds to ascertain their activities since their stay in India. We have not come across any terror-related activities involving them as of now, however, the investigation is on,” said Mahesh Patil, the deputy commissioner of police, Zone V.