The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has detained 61 foreign nationals in a citywide operation ahead of Diwali, saying the action was aimed at strengthening security arrangements, verifying unauthorised residents and maintaining law and order during the festival period.
The operation was conducted simultaneously across different areas of Ahmedabad after the Crime Branch collected intelligence about foreign nationals allegedly staying in the city without valid authorisation. According to the Crime Branch, most of those detained are Bangladeshi nationals. The detainees are now facing legal proceedings, while a deportation process has also been initiated, the report said.
The action was carried out across multiple zones after officers identified specific locations for raids. The Crime Branch said the drive was part of advance planning for the festival season and that checks on the identity and residential status of foreign nationals would be tightened further.
The operation also brings attention to the administrative challenge of verifying identity and immigration status in a large city where people frequently move between neighbourhoods for work and housing. The Crime Branch said it was investigating how some foreign nationals were allegedly provided accommodation and employment after arriving in Ahmedabad.
The police have also begun examining the role of alleged facilitators who may have helped some of the detained individuals obtain Indian identity and travel documents. The report attributed to the Crime Branch mentions Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, voter identity cards and passports among the documents allegedly arranged with the assistance of intermediaries. These claims remain part of the ongoing investigation and have not been established through a court finding in the supplied report.
The Crime Branch said certain areas, including Chandola in the past, had been used as places of shelter by some unauthorised foreign nationals, although such residents are now reportedly spread across different parts of the city. The police are investigating the people who allegedly provided accommodation, employment or documentation support.
The action reflects how festival-season policing in Ahmedabad extends beyond visible patrols and crowd management to intelligence gathering, address verification and coordination around immigration and identity records. It also places responsibility on enforcement agencies to distinguish between immigration violations, document-related offences and other criminal allegations through due legal process.
The Crime Branch said similar action would continue after Diwali as part of its stated zero-tolerance approach towards unauthorised entry and residence. The next steps for the 61 detainees will include the legal process and the deportation procedures initiated by the authorities.
