Agartala: If authorities thought a National Investigation Agency raid targeting border touts would reduce illegal crossings from Bangladesh, they are likely to be disappointed.
Over 20 people were detained across different parts of the state for the violation of the passport laws, just days after arresting 25 people involved in human trafficking along Indo-Bangladesh borders.
Those arrested consist of Bangladeshi nationals, internationally displaced Rohingya migrants and Indian facilitators popularly known as “border touts.”
Of the 20, 14 were arrested from Sabroom, the last town in the South District of Tripura.
In a statement, Tripura Police said that 14 Bangladeshi nationals had been caught red-handed while crossing the borders through Sabroom’s Baishnabpur. Four persons were also picked up from the Indian side to provide them with logistic support. Among the four contact persons, two were women.
All the arrested persons, including women and children, were produced before the Court and sent to judicial custody. On Monday, three persons were detained from Agartala Railway Station on suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals.
Following initial interrogation, police learnt that two are Rohingyas, while one is a Bangladeshi national.
Speaking to EastMojo, SP Government Railway Police Amitabha Paul said, “We have been informed that a group of infiltrators are roaming in Agartala railway station and they are attempting to embark on a journey for a metro city from here. They had been detained and produced before the Court. Among the detained persons, there was one woman…one Indian collaborator was also arrested.”
The same evening, four Bangladeshi nationals were caught by the locals of Konabon village in Bishalgarh under Sepahijala district.
Speaking on the issue, OC Madhupur police station Bibhas Ranjan Das said, “The locals of Konaban village identified them and detained them on Sunday night. The next morning, their custody was handed over to the BSF and eventually, they were put in the police lockup.”
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According to Das, all of them hail from Chandpur in Bangladesh.
“They have had a history of staying in Agartala for work purposes. Even before they had stayed in Agartala for construction work. They have admitted that they keep crossing the borders in search of livelihood and whenever they can save a substantial amount, they return to Bangladesh to their families,” Das said.
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