Delhi Police detained 66 Bangladeshi immigrants, including 20 men, 16 women, and 30 children, from North West Delhi, it said on Monday.

The detainees, who come from 11 families, were found to be living illegally in the national capital, and the operation, conducted on June 6, was followed by a tip-off, the police added.

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According to the cops, the foreign nationals had recently relocated from Nuh (formerly Mewat) in Haryana, where they worked in brick kilns.

Upon arrival in Delhi, they sought refuge in areas with high population density and minimal formal oversight, further complicating detection efforts, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (North West) Bhisham Singh.

The DCP added that in order to avoid detection, the families had deliberately split into two groups and settled across different locations within the district.

Out of the total, 35 were apprehended from Wazirpur and 31 from NS Mandi areas of North West Delhi, the cop added.

The families were found to have deliberately concealed mobile phones and identity documents to evade surveillance, he said.

The officer said the action is part of an ongoing drive to detect and deter unauthorised foreign nationals in Delhi.

All of them had entered the country illegally and were living in violation of visa and immigration norms, Singh said, adding that the Foreigners Regional Registration Office(FRRO) is currently completing the legal and documentation formalities for their deportation. They will be sent back to Bangladesh following due process.

Earlier, 71 foreign nationals who were found living illegally in the city, including 47 Bangladeshi citizens, 17 Rohingyas from Myanmar, and 7 Nigerians, were detained from the Dwarka district in May.