Mumbai/Jalna: The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested 16 Bangladeshi nationals, including six women, for entering India illegally and staying without valid documents.

The arrests were made during a special drive initiated by the ATS, officials said.

“Accordingly, action was taken in the last 24 hours with the help of police in Navi Mumbai, Thane and Solapur. We arrested seven men and six women,” an official said.

They have been booked in three cases under the Foreigners Act and other relevant laws.

“These Bangladeshi nationals had managed to get Indian documents like Aadhaar cards using forged documents,” he said.

A joint squad of ATS and police arrested three Bangladeshi nationals from Jalna district on Friday night, an official said on Saturday.

The accused were working at crusher machines in Bhokardan taluka.

They were arrested from Anva and Kumbhari villages in a joint operation by ATS and local police.

Preliminary investigation shows that the trio forged their identity papers to work illegally in India. They had been staying illegally for the last two years, the police official said.

A case has been registered under various sections of Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita and the Foreigners Act.