Kannur: Following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in states bordering Bangladesh, central intelligence agencies have warned that Bangladeshi nationals are moving to other parts of the country, including Kerala.

The police have been instructed to collect information on Bangladeshi nationals suspected of residing illegally in the state and step up surveillance. Inspections are being carried out with a particular focus on Kerala, which has a large migrant worker population. The information-gathering exercise is being led by the Foreign Cell, the intelligence wing responsible for monitoring foreign nationals.

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An investigation following the recent arrest of five Bangladeshi women in Kannur found that some migrants travel to Kerala on local buses and in the general compartments of trains to avoid detection during checks. The women reportedly told investigators that they travelled in small groups.

With an intensive revision of electoral rolls underway in Bangladesh-bordering states such as West Bengal and Assam, intelligence agencies suspect that some undocumented migrants are moving to other states to avoid detection. Special inspections have been launched in Kerala based on these inputs.

Five Bangladeshi women were recently arrested in Kannur. While many Bangladeshi nationals are believed to have come to Kerala in search of employment, investigative agencies are also examining the possibility of links to terrorist networks and drug trafficking. Officials suspect that some Bangladeshi nationals are living in Kerala by falsely claiming to be from West Bengal.

Unofficial estimates put the number of migrant workers in Kerala at more than 2.5 million. Intelligence agencies have found that some suspected Bangladeshi nationals possess Aadhaar cards and mobile SIM cards.

Central and state intelligence agencies have previously warned that Bangladeshi nationals entering Kerala by posing as migrants from West Bengal could pose a security concern.

The operations of an alleged document-forging network came to light after police arrested 10 Bangladeshi nationals in Kottarakkara. The suspects were reportedly found in possession of Aadhaar, PAN and voter ID cards carrying Kerala addresses, as well as ration cards. Intelligence agencies have received information indicating that a mafia network operating from Bengaluru may be involved in creating these fake documents.