In a major overnight operation, Odisha Police detained nine individuals suspected to be Bangladeshi infiltrators in the coastal areas of Bhadrak district.
The drive, personally monitored by Bhadrak Superintendent of Police Manoj Rout, targeted villages under Basudevpur and Tihidi police station limits where illegal immigrants are believed to have settled after crossing the sea route.
The operation began late Tuesday night after intelligence inputs revealed that several Bangladeshi nationals had entered India through the porous coastline and were living under false identities in coastal villages. Many of them were reportedly working as migrant labourers, masons, or running small businesses while concealing their original nationality.
“Coastal security is a priority. We are verifying the citizenship documents of every suspicious person residing in the seaside villages,” SP Manoj Rout told reporters after inspecting the detained individuals at Basudevpur police station.
Eight persons were picked up from different locations in the Basudevpur block, while one was detained from the Tihidi area. Senior police officers accompanied the SP during the midnight raid. Police sources said the detained individuals are claiming to be Indian citizens, but their documents are under detailed scrutiny.
Areas such as Basudevpur, Tihidi, Chandbali, Dhamra, Chudamani, Kaithkhola and Chandinipal along the Bhadrak coastline have reportedly turned into safe havens for infiltrators over the past few years. Similar concerns have already surfaced in neighbouring Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur districts.
The intensified drive comes amid nationwide efforts to identify and deport illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the interest of internal security.
Police said the verification process is ongoing and further action will be taken based on the findings. More such operations are likely in other coastal pockets of the state in the coming days.
