(OT Webdesk)In a sweeping crackdown on undocumented immigration, Odisha Police detained 444 individuals suspected to be illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants across multiple locations in the Jharsuguda district.
The district-wide operation, led by Superintendent of Police Smit P Parmar, was launched to identify and verify the legal status of foreign nationals allegedly residing without valid documents.
Among those apprehended, 265 individuals were detained from areas under Brajrajnagar Sub-division and are currently held at Surabhi Kalyana Mandap, Hilltop Colony.
The remaining detainees were shifted to a temporary holding centre at Black Diamond College of Engineering and Technology within the Jharsuguda Sub-division.
Preliminary investigations indicate that many of the detainees were employed as labourers, masons, or hawkers, embedded in the local informal economy.
Two temporary verification centres have been set up where officials are examining documents and confirming identities.
SP Parmar emphasised that due procedure will be followed, and legal action—including possible deportation—will be initiated against those found to be residing in India unlawfully.
This high-profile operation has triggered broader discussions on border enforcement, local employment practices, and the growing issue of economic migration in Odisha.
