11 Bangladesh nationals & 3 touts, including 1 from Assam, arrested at Agartala Railway station

Agartala, Sept 22: In a significant crackdown on illegal infiltration, 11 Bangladesh nationals and three touts, including one from Assam, were arrested at Agartala Railway Station in Tripura on Saturday.

The arrests were made by the Government Railway Police (GRP), who informed that among the foreign nationals, seven hail from Khagrachari district, while four women are from Narail district.

The police have confirmed that the individuals were attempting to travel to Ahmedabad and Chennai by boarding various trains.

“After initial investigations, we discovered that 11 of the detained individuals are from Bangladesh, while the remaining three are Indian touts,” said OC GRP Tapas Das.

“Two of the touts are from Tripura, and one arrived from lower Assam to assist the foreign nationals in reaching their destination,” he told The Assam Tribune.

During the operation, the police have seized several items, including smartphones, currencies from both India and Bangladesh, and various personal documents.

Investigators indicated that the group had crossed the border seeking better livelihood opportunities in larger Indian cities.

This incident follows a series of attempts at illegal infiltration that Tripura police have thwarted over the past two months, particularly in light of the political unrest in neighbouring Bangladesh.

Just weeks prior, on September 2, authorities apprehended 17 Bangladeshi nationals across various locations in the state.

Data from the Border Security Force (BSF) highlights the ongoing issue, revealing that in July alone, 108 individuals were apprehended for various offenses related to infiltration and smuggling, including 77 foreign nationals.

As security agencies maintain heightened vigilance along the 856-km India-Bangladesh border, they continue to gather credible information on suspected illegal activities, aiming to curb further attempts at illegal infiltration.