The Union government has recently issued an alert on the illegal stay of Bangladeshi nationals in India.

The Directors General of Police of States/Union Territories, have been instructed to take the appropriate action against illegal immigrants who entered the country through West Bengal’s Bangladesh border and settled all over the country, The Hindu has reported quoting its sources.

Security agencies were made aware of a well-connected network of locals and agents in West Bengal who were facilitating foreign nationals to enter the country and obtain original documents by using fictitious addresses, IDs, and other details.

The illegal immigrants who initially obtained Aadhaar cards moved to different parts of the country to get employment and settled there. Some managed to get other proof of address or identity such as bank passbook, voter identity card, and PAN card, The Hindu has quoted its sources as saying.

“These documents help them establish a fake identity in a given address and get employment. Many are using them to get passports to travel abroad. Since the documents, including the passport, are issued by the competent authority, the accused persons travel without being suspected or caught,” a senior police officer told The Hindu.

As per the center’s alert, the foreigners posing as Indian nationals used the documents for numerous purposes across India. The accused foreign nationals were settled in several States, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka, the official quoted the advisory as saying.

The alert further said that some locals in West Bengal were acting as agents by providing fraudulently obtained Indian identity documents, particularly Aadhaar cards, for a fee.