More than 20 suspected Bangladeshi nationals were detained during a well-planned late-night operation in the Jagatsinghpur district on Tuesday, as police intensified countrywide verification drives throughout coastal villages in response to repeated warnings about unauthorized stays.
The action, conducted in Tarikunda and Dariapur villages under Sadar police limits Friday night, is the latest in a series of crackdowns underway across Odisha.
Senior officers, including the Additional SP and the SDPO, spearheaded the surprise operation shortly before midnight. The search, which focused on clusters found by recent intelligence inputs, was supported by an entire platoon force.

According to sources, police units searched a madrasa where a number of suspected foreign nationals were allegedly residing after moving through residential areas. Over 20 individuals were brought into custody for verification, while intelligence from the scene showed that more than 10 more fled before the teams arrived.
The district police have not given a formal statement on the number of persons who escaped.
Bhadrak Police Conduct Parallel Operation
In a separate exercise on the same night, Basudevpur Police in nearby Bhadrak district nabbed eight other suspects as part of heightened monitoring of coastal blocks.Basudevpur has consistently reported the biggest population of Bangladeshi nationals within Bhadrak, according to official district data, which has prompted regular checks. Several individuals had been detained during earlier verification rounds, and Tuesday's operation was conducted in response to fresh information about unauthorized movement in coastal hamlets and fishing areas.
Statewide Action Follows Assembly Disclosure
The enhanced policing comes a day after Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi informed the Odisha Assembly that 49 Bangladeshi nationals had been returned following a nationwide identification drive initiated after the creation of the current government.51 people have been recognized as unlawful inhabitants throughout the State thus far, according to data given in the House. These include 24 in Khordha, 15 in Cuttack, six in Ganjam, three in Kandhamal and one in Koraput.
Two further persons were found using counterfeit passports, with cases made against them for the violation. The State Government has created a specialized task team to manage identification, detention and deportation proceedings and has instructed all district police chiefs to tighten local surveillance.
To manage verification and repatriation processes, Odisha presently runs two state-level centers and eighteen district-level detention facilities.