Police struggle to distinguish genuine citizens from suspected migrants with forged papers
PANAJI
The interception of a group in Hubballi, allegedly travelling towards Goa, has exposed one of the biggest challenges confronting enforcement agencies in tracking undocumented Bangladeshi nationals, in verifying whether identity documents are genuine or forged.
The group, suspected to be Bangladeshi nationals heading towards Goa, was intercepted in Hubballi earlier this week but was later released after producing Indian identity documents. Sources in the Goa Police told The Goan that verification of the documents is still underway, while pointing to the difficulty in distinguishing genuine Indian citizens from undocumented migrants allegedly carrying sophisticated forged papers.
“The documents may appear authentic at first glance. Verification takes time and requires coordination between multiple agencies. That is the real concern,” the source said, adding that the Goa Police are in touch with their counterparts to ascertain the authenticity of the documents and identities submitted by those persons.
The episode has triggered heightened alert across Goa, with Special Task Force (STF), district police teams and railway police intensifying checks at railway stations, bus stands and interstate entry points. Goa Police are also coordinating with the Railway Protection Force (RPF) to monitor trains arriving through West Bengal routes.
Police sources said intelligence inputs suggest undocumented Bangladeshi nationals allegedly residing in West Bengal may attempt to move to other states amid increasing scrutiny and political developments there.
“There are always apprehensions that Goa could become either a destination or transit point because undocumented persons can blend easily into labour and informal employment networks, given the demand,” the official said.
The concerns are compounded by Bangladeshi nationals’ links to organised interstate dacoity gangs.
In two major robbery cases – at Dona Paula and Ganeshpuri (Mapusa), Goa Police claimed the accused used precision planning, rapid interstate movement and cross-border escape routes. Police had then stated that some suspects managed to leave Goa within hours of committing the crimes.
Investigations revealed that several accused were allegedly from Bangladesh’s Bagerhat district and had criminal records spread across several Indian states over nearly two decades.
Enforcement data shows that 27 overstaying foreign nationals of various nationalities exited India from Goa between January and May this year. During 2025, the State government deported or facilitated the exit of 120 overstaying foreign nationals, including 29 Bangladeshi nationals.
