Kosutoli under scrutiny again: Locals hand over 2 B'desh nationals to police
The two men have reportedly admitted to paying Rs 20,000 to border touts & have been residing in the area for the past 4 months
Two Bangladesh nationals, reportedly crossed over to Indian territory by paying Rs 20 thousand to border touts, arrested on Saturday (Representational Image/ AT Photo)
Guwahati, Dec. 22: Two Bangladesh nationals were handed over to the police by local residents in Sonapur on Saturday night after they were found to have illegally crossed into Indian territory.
The individuals, identified as Muhammad Tahil and Abdul Mannan, reportedly paid Rs 20,000 to border touts who facilitated their entry into Assam.
The two men, hailing from Bangladesh’s Sylhet district, admitted to their illegal presence in India and were found in possession of two Bangladesh SIM cards.
They have been residing in Sonapur’s Kosutoli area for the past four months, working as labourers while concealing their true identities. It has been reported that they had also changed their names in an attempt to evade detection.
The arrest follows recent statements by Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma regarding the state's ongoing battle against illegal infiltration. During an event in Samaguri on Friday, Dr. Sarma expressed deep concerns over the issue and pledged to take stringent action against those attempting to destabilise the state.
The Chief Minister's remarks came in response to a successful operation by Assam Police's Special Task Force (STF), alongside forces from West Bengal and Kerala, which led to the arrest of eight individuals, including a Bangladesh national. The group was accused of inciting religious tensions and destabilizing communal harmony in the region.
In recent months, Assam has ramped up efforts to combat illegal immigration. Over 170 Bangladesh nationals have been deported from the state following the political unrest in Bangladesh after the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Kosutoli, too, has been in the spotlight due to the state government's eviction drives targeting suspicious individuals occupying land in the area. One such eviction in September led to violent clashes between police and residents, resulting in the deaths of two individuals.
The arrests of Tahil and Mannan underscore the ongoing issue of illegal infiltration in Assam, with authorities vowing to continue their crackdown on foreign nationals residing in the state without proper documentation.
