Six more suspected Bangladeshi nationals arrested for illegal stay in Kochi

The Hill Palace Police in Thripunithura arrested six suspected Bangladeshi nationals who were allegedly staying illegally at Eroor in Kochi, Kerala. The men were arrested from a scrap shop on Karukappadom Road near Eroor on Thursday following a tip-off, an officer said on Friday. They had been working at the store for some time, police said.

Those arrested were identified as Rakiv Shaba (24), Muhammad Sohal Faraz (33), Tarek Abdul Monnan (21), Sogir (18), Maidhi Hazida (32) and Muhammad Agin (39), police said.

Police sources said the identity cards and other documents recovered from the arrested persons were found to be fake.

The accused were charged with entering or staying in India without the required travel documents under Section 21 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 and forgery under Sections 336(2) and 340(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act.

Police said a detailed investigation would be conducted into how the accused reached Kerala and who facilitated their journey. Those arrested will be produced in court on Friday afternoon, police said.

The arrest by the Hill Palace police comes close to that of the Kuruppampad police in Ernakulam rural limits with the arrest of a suspected Bangladeshi national who was said to be staying at Asamannur in Kothamangalam and working in a plywood factory there. Earlier this month, Palarivattom police arrested 10 suspected Bangladeshi nationals for staying in the city without valid documents.

Published – 26 Jun 2026 13:10 IST