Navi Mumbai: In a major interstate crackdown, Meghalaya Police recently arrested 20 Bangladeshi nationals who had earlier fled Navi Mumbai and were found residing illegally in Meghalaya. Acting on a non-bailable warrant, a Meghalaya Police team arrived in Navi Mumbai to arrest two local suspects who had allegedly assisted these illegal immigrants. A joint operation with Crime Branch Unit 1 (Vashi) and the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) led to their detention.
The investigation revealed that the arrested Bangladeshi nationals had been helped in opening bank accounts by Jabir Yunus Shaikh and Nusrat Arshad Qazi, both residents of Koparkhairane, Navi Mumbai. These accounts were reportedly used for illegal financial activities.
On March 13, 2025, around noon, Qazi was arrested at her residence at Sector 12B, Koparkhairane. Following further intelligence, Shaikh was also arrested on April 15, 2025, from Sector 19, Ulwe. Both suspects were handed over to the Meghalaya Police team, which had obtained a transit warrant from the court for further investigation.
This successful operation was executed under the guidance of Assistant Commissioners of Police Ajaykumar Landge (Crime Branch) and Dharampal Bansode (AHTU), with efforts led by Police Inspectors Niraj Chaudhary (Crime Branch Unit-1), Prithviraj Ghorpade (AHTU), and their teams.
The Navi Mumbai Police Commissionerate has issued a public advisory warning that “Any person providing accommodation or employment to illegal Bangladeshi nationals will face prosecution under Section 14(a) of the Foreigners Act and Section 5 of the Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939, and will be treated as co-accused.”