150 Flown Out of J&K on IAF Aircraft as Crackdown on ‘Illegal Immigrants’ Begins

The Jammu & Kashmir administration has begun a major exercise to identify and act against people described by authorities as “illegal immigrants”, with around 150 detained individuals flown out of the Union Territory to Bagdogra airport in West Bengal on an Indian Air Force aircraft.

According to police sources cited in the report, the latest action follows a special exercise conducted by the Jammu & Kashmir Police over the past few days to identify people allegedly living in the Union Territory without valid documentation.

Police sources said that around 500 people, mostly from Bangladesh, were detained from different parts of Jammu & Kashmir as part of the exercise. Those detained were subsequently shifted to a facility on the outskirts of the region.

A first batch of around 150 people was transported by an Indian Air Force aircraft to Bagdogra airport in West Bengal. The movement of the detainees marks a significant step in the administration's ongoing action against people it has identified as illegal immigrants.

According to police sources, the individuals flown to Bagdogra are expected to be handed over to the Border Security Force (BSF). Sources said they are scheduled to be deported to Bangladesh on October 7.

The operation comes around two months after a high-level committee on Demographic Changes visited Jammu & Kashmir. The latest police exercise appears to be part of a broader administrative focus on identifying people whose presence in the Union Territory is considered unauthorised.

The authorities have described the detained individuals as “illegal immigrants”, with police sources saying that most of those identified were from Bangladesh. The exercise involved police personnel identifying and detaining people across different parts of Jammu & Kashmir before shifting them to a designated facility.

The transportation of the first group by an Indian Air Force aircraft highlights the scale of the operation. Rather than moving the detainees through regular civilian transportation, the authorities used an IAF aircraft to transport around 150 people to Bagdogra, from where further action is expected to be taken.

Bagdogra's location in West Bengal also places the detainees closer to the India-Bangladesh border region. According to police sources, the individuals will be handed over to the BSF before the proposed deportation.

The administration's action comes amid increased scrutiny of demographic changes in Jammu & Kashmir. The high-level committee that visited the Union Territory around two months ago had examined demographic-related concerns, following which authorities have continued to focus on identifying people considered to be residing in the region without legal status.

The police exercise reportedly covered different parts of Jammu & Kashmir and resulted in approximately 500 people being detained. The majority were reportedly identified as being from Bangladesh.

The first group of 150 people has now been moved out of Jammu & Kashmir, while the remaining detainees are expected to be dealt with as the administration continues its verification and deportation process.

The use of the term “illegal immigrants” in the official and police description refers to the authorities' assessment of the detainees' status. The report says police conducted the exercise to identify people allegedly living in Jammu & Kashmir without valid documentation.

The next stage of the process is expected to involve coordination between authorities in Jammu & Kashmir, the BSF and other agencies responsible for deportation and border management.

The detainees transported to Bagdogra are expected to be handed over to the BSF before being deported to Bangladesh on October 7, according to police sources.

The operation represents a significant administrative and security exercise in Jammu & Kashmir, involving the identification, detention, transportation and proposed deportation of hundreds of people.

As the crackdown continues, authorities are expected to carry out further verification of those detained and determine the next steps for the remaining individuals. The reported figure of around 500 detainees indicates that the operation extends beyond the first group already transported to West Bengal.

For now, the first batch of around 150 people has been flown from Jammu & Kashmir to Bagdogra, marking the beginning of the deportation process described by police sources.