Over 9,000 individuals suspected to be Rohingyas have been living illegally in different districts of Uttar Pradesh (UP), having entered Indian territory through North-Eastern states.

The process of identifying and verifying their status is currently underway, with many other illegal immigrants likely to be detained, according to a senior police official.

On Monday, UP's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) conducted a comprehensive drive to identify and detain illegal immigrants residing in the state, resulting in the custody of 74 Rohingyas, including 55 men, 14 women, and five minors.

The police have filed cases against the detained Rohingyas in six districts of western UP, according to Prashant Kumar, Special DG of Police.

The identification and verification process for Rohingyas in the state was initiated following a circular issued by former UP DGP OP Singh on 30 September 2019. Prior to this, at least 259 Rohingyas were identified living in slums in Lucknow and Mathura.

These suspected Rohingyas have been found residing in camps on the outskirts of cities, near railway stations and bus stands, as well as in newly developed slums on deserted stretches.

Additionally, authorities received information that a Muslim cleric was providing various types of training, including Urdu lessons, to the children of Rohingyas.

The police officials have been instructed to send a verification report to the state government for the deportation of illegal immigrants. Moreover, they will be collecting fingerprints of the suspected individuals to prepare a district-wise centralized computerized database.

Construction agencies operating in various districts, especially in the National Capital Region, where such illegal immigrants often work as laborers, will be asked to collect the workers' identity proofs before hiring them, as per the official's recommendation.