Over the past four months, the Navi Mumbai police have launched an extensive crackdown on illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, prompting many to flee the city. The Crime Branch has formed special teams to investigate suspects and has checked the documents of over 7000 individuals. Of these, approximately 1250 are suspected to be Bangladeshi nationals. Investigations have revealed that many of the suspects possess fake certificates allegedly issued by village heads (Sarpanch) in districts of West Bengal bordering Bangladesh. These certificates lack serial numbers, making verification difficult. More than 1200 such documents are currently being examined by multiple teams of the Navi Mumbai Crime Branch.

As part of the investigation, teams from the Navi Mumbai Crime Branch travelled to several districts in West Bengal to verify the authenticity of certain documents. It was discovered that illegal immigrants often begin by obtaining a birth certificate—with the help of a local Sarpanch—and subsequently use agents to acquire other documents such as Aadhaar cards and ration cards.