Five Bangladeshi women held for illegal stay in Maharashtra's Thane district

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The police in Maharashtra arrested five Bangladeshi women from Mira Road in Maharashtra's Thane district after they were found living in India without permission and valid documents, officials said on Tuesday, reported the PTI.

The action was taken by the Anti-Human Trafficking Cell of the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) commissionerate, they said.

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According to the PTI, Assistant Commissioner of Police (crime) Madan Ballal said the police had received a tip-off that some Bangladeshi nationals were residing illegally in Mira Road area, following which raids were conducted at two slums on Saturday.

Five Bangladeshi women were nabbed in the operation. During their questioning, they could not produce any valid documents for their stay in the country, he said.

FIRs have been registered against them at the Mira Road and Naya Nagar police stations under the provisions of the Passport (Entry into India) Act and Foreigners Act, the police said, adding that a probe was on.

Bangladeshi nationals held for illegal stay in Navi Mumbai

Meanwhile, in an another incident, earlier this month, five Bangladeshi nationals have been arrested for allegedly staying illegally in Navi Mumbai, the police said on Sunday.

Following a tip off, the Navi Mumbai Police's anti-human trafficking cell conducted a raid in a residential building at Koparkhairne on Saturday and apprehended four women and a man.

During the questioning, it came to light that they entered India using forged documents, an officer from Koparkhairne police station said.

The women, who are in the age group of 34 to 45 years, worked as housekeepers, while the man, aged 38, used to do painting work, the officer said.

A first information report (FIR) was registered against them under the relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for cheating and forgery as well as under the provisions of the Passport (Entry into India) Rules-1950 and the Foreigners Act-1946, the officer said.

In May, the Mumbai Killa Court convicted 20 Bangladeshi nationals for entering India without valid passports and forging permanent residency documents, including Indian passports, Aadhar cards, and birth certificates. The court sentenced each convict to eight months in prison and imposed a fine of R4,000. If they failed to pay the fine, their prison term will be extended to 16 months.

(with PTI inputs)