In a continued crackdown on illegal immigrants, Tamil Nadu police have arrested eight more illegal Bangladeshi nationals from Akaramel near Poonamallee, including two women, for staying in the state without valid documents. This brings the total number of arrests to 41 in recent days, following the earlier detention of 33 Bangladeshi nationals near Mangadu and Kundrathur on 29 April 2025.
#JUSTIN பூந்தமல்லி அருகே அகரமேல் கிராமத்தில் சட்ட விரோதமாக தங்கியிருந்த 8 வங்கதேசத்தவர்கள் கைது#Poonamalle #Chennai #Agarmel #Village #Bangladesh #News18Tamilnadu | https://t.co/3v5L32pLWJ pic.twitter.com/pXIgQPmxZy
— News18 Tamil Nadu (@News18TamilNadu) May 2, 2025
The latest arrests were made after local authorities, acting on intelligence inputs, conducted checks in the Akaramel area. Officials confirmed that the arrested individuals were residing without valid identification or travel documents and had been living undetected in the area for an extended period.
The earlier operation on April 29 was carried out by a special team from the Delhi Police, which had launched a search based on the interrogation of Sand Miya, a man arrested in 2024 for producing forged Aadhaar cards and passports. During questioning, Miya disclosed the presence of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh living in parts of Chennai, prompting coordinated raids in the Mangadu and Kundrathur regions.
The 33 individuals arrested earlier—including women, elderly persons, and children—were reportedly working as ragpickers and had been living in the city for over a year. Authorities have detained them at a secure community welfare centre in Kolappakkam, with heavy police presence in place around the facility.
Security agencies are investigating how the immigrants entered Tamil Nadu and whether they were aided by local networks. Investigations are also underway to determine if the individuals had any links to extremist groups or were involved in unlawful activities.
These developments come amid heightened national security concerns following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Central and state security agencies have since increased surveillance on undocumented immigrants, particularly those from Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Authorities have assured that action will be taken against those who provided shelter or assistance to the illegal immigrants. More arrests are likely as the investigation continues.
(With inputs from Times Of India)
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