According to Mohammad Sheikh, the police seized and examined his mobile phone and scrutinised documents he had previously submitted as part of the verification process. (File photo)A 31-year-old migrant labourer from Nadia district in West Bengal was picked up by the Bengaluru police on suspicion of being a Bangladeshi national and questioned for nearly 10 hours on Wednesday. He was released later after the police confirmed his Indian citizenship.Mohammed Sheikh, a construction worker who has been living in Bengaluru since 2009 with his wife and three children, was picked up amid an ongoing city-wide special drive against illegal migrants and foreign nationals.The drive involves teams verifying documents of individuals suspected of residing in the city without valid authorisation. The police are checking identity papers, visa status in the case of foreign nationals, and other supporting documents.According to Sheikh, the police seized and examined his mobile phone and scrutinised documents he had previously submitted as part of the verification process.Speaking to The Indian Express, Sheikh said, “Police came on Wednesday and took me with them while I was with my friends. They first took away my phone and then took me to the station. They told me they would leave me after questioning me for 10 minutes. I tried to explain that I am from West Bengal and that I have been helping police and NGOs identify illegal Bangladeshi immigrants staying in the city, but they did not listen.”He added that he was questioned continuously during his detention at the Tilak Nagar police station for nearly 10 hours while officers examined his phone records and documents. “The police behaved politely. They asked me if I needed food and arranged Iftar after I told them I was fasting,” he said.The police said they acted on a memo regarding verification and picked him up for questioning. However, officers added that a delay in receiving confirmation from the concerned local authorities caused the delay in his release.Story continues below this adThe special drive to identify illegal migrants as well as foreign nationals residing in the city without valid documentation is ongoing. According to police sources, more than 2,000 individuals were questioned in a single day as part of the exercise.Must Read | Crackdown on illegal Bangladeshis? BMC order review of all birth records since 2016The drive is being conducted under the directions of Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh, with teams deployed across divisions to verify visa status, Foreign Regional Registration Office (FRRO) registration and related documents.“The drive aims to ensure that all foreign nationals residing in the city are properly documented. Teams are verifying visas, FRRO registration and other credentials through field inspections, while taking care not to cause inconvenience to the public. House owners have also been asked to provide details of foreign nationals staying on their premises,” the commissioner said.Officials said several individuals were found without valid documentation or overstaying their visas. “Foreign nationals found overstaying their visas or residing without valid documentation are being identified, and legal action is being initiated against them. Deportation proceedings will be undertaken wherever necessary. Authorities are also verifying the background of foreign nationals suspected to be involved in illegal activities,” Singh added.Story continues below this adIn January, the police had conducted raids in Electronics City and Hebbagodi, detaining over 26 Bangladeshi nationals for illegal stay. In November 2025, the Central Crime Branch arrested 14 foreign nationals in a separate operation and seized narcotics worth Rs 7.7 crore.