Jammu, Dec 19 (IANS): Police have started a major drive against people illegally sheltering Rohingyas in Jammu and Kashmir’s (J&K) Jammu division and four persons have been arrested in this connection.

Police said that some people were also booked during the drive to identity people illegally sheltering Rohingyas in Jammu division.

“Of the four arrested persons, three belong to Poonch while one belongs to Rajouri District. Ten such people were booked in Doda District while seven cases have been registered in different police stations of Jammu District,” DIG, Jammu-Samba-Kathua, Shakti Pathak said.

He told reporters that some locals had provided plots of land to illegal Rohingya immigrants and such plots were being identified so that action could be taken against the plot owners.

Earlier, a police spokesperson said that in Doda District cases had been registered against ten people who facilitated domicile certificates, Aadhaar cards, Ration Cards, Voter ID cards and PAN Cards etc for the illegal immigrants.

In Kishtwar District a case has been registered following recovery of illegally-obtained documents like Aadhaar cards during a crackdown against Rohingyas.

Government records show that over 13,700 foreigners, including Rohingya Muslims and Bangladeshi nationals are settled in Jammu and other districts of J&K, where their population has increased by over 6,000 between 2008 and 2016.