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In a significant operation, police arrested eight Bangladeshi nationals, including a woman, for residing illegally in Maharashtra's Thane district. The arrests were made during raids conducted in Bhiwandi town over the weekend, police officials confirmed on Monday.

Acting on a tip-off and a subsequent complaint, the authorities carried out targeted raids at Kalher and Kongaon on Saturday and Sunday. The eight individuals, aged between 22 and 42 years, were unable to produce any valid documents to justify their stay in India, as per PTI reports.

Investigations revealed that the accused were engaged in various low-income jobs to sustain themselves while residing in the region. Among them, three worked as scrap sellers, two were labourers, one was a mason, and another worked as a plumber, according to the police.

The suspects were immediately taken into custody following the raids. They have been charged under relevant provisions of the Foreign Nationals Act and the Indian Passport Act. These laws are designed to regulate the stay of foreign nationals in the country and ensure compliance with visa and passport regulations.

Authorities are now investigating how the individuals managed to enter the country and remain undetected for an extended period. This case has once again brought attention to the issue of illegal immigration, particularly in urban and semi-urban areas where such individuals often blend into local communities, making detection challenging.

As per PTI, a senior police officer stated that preliminary inquiries are ongoing to ascertain whether the arrested individuals were part of any organised network facilitating illegal immigration or were acting independently. The officer further emphasised the importance of vigilance among landlords and residents to report suspected cases of unauthorised stays in their localities.

Earlier this year it was reported that Police have arrested eight Bangladeshi nationals from Maharashtra's Navi Mumbai township for allegedly staying in India illegally, an official said on Tuesday, reported news agency PTI.

Acting on a tip-off, the anti-human trafficking cell of Navi Mumbai police raided a flat at a housing complex in Shahbaz village of Belapur area on Monday morning.