Bharat

Four Bangladeshi held in Tripura, 11 more detained in Guwahati; Police crackdown on cross-border infiltration

Security agencies in the Northeast have intensified their crackdown on illegal cross-border infiltration, with Tripura Police arresting three Bangladeshi nationals and an Indian auto-rickshaw driver for allegedly facilitating their return to Bangladesh after an illegal stay in India

Published by
Dibya Bordoloi

Guwahati: Tripura police have arrested 3 Bangladeshi infiltrators and an Indian auto-rickshaw driver, after busting a cross-border infiltration racket. The arrested Bangladeshi nationals were trying to sneak back across the border into Bangladesh. In a separate case, railway police in Guwahati have detained 11 more suspected Bangladeshi nationals who were reportedly on their way to Chennai.

The Tripura arrests

The Border Security Force (BSF) 97 Battalion patrolling team picked up the group on the night of June 7, near the Ranibari BOP border outpost in the Kadamtala area. A case has been filed at Kadamtala Police Station under Sections 21 and 23(a) of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025.

When questioned, all three arrested infiltrators admitted they were from Bangladesh. The group had entered India without valid papers and stayed here for the last three months and now trying to slip back across the border the same way.

One of them, identified as Sohel Mia, said he had crossed into India roughly three months earlier with help from local tout and had since been living in the Shantipur area under Pecharthal Police Station in Tripura working as a daily labour. For the return trip, the group had  hired auto-rickshaw driver Manik Roy to help them reach the border.

Police have recorded statements from several witnesses and seized two mobile phones from the accused as part of the investigation. They have also asked the court to add Section 249 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 to the case, and have requested three days of police remand to question the accused further.

Jayanta Karmakar, SDPO Dharmatala, said that the group was arrested by BSF troops and later handed over to Tripura police for further legal action. The arrested infiltrators were produced in a local court and now in police custody for further investigation.

11 detained at Guwahati railway station

Meanwhile, in Assam, the Railway Protection Force detained 11 suspected Bangladeshi infiltrators during an operation at Guwahati Railway Station. According to sources, the group was intercepted while apparently trying to travel onward to Chennai.

Early investigation revealed that the group had entered India through the Tura border area in Meghalaya. Investigators are now looking into whether any local touts are involved in the cross-border infiltration.

The RPF has opened an inquiry to confirm the identities of those detained and to reconstruct their travel route since crossing the border. Officials say questioning is ongoing to build a clearer picture of their movements and any contacts they may have had along the way.

Police are also trying to determine whether a larger network of agents was involved in helping the group enter and move through the country. As part of the probe, officials are cross-checking documents and other records tied to the case, with the investigation continuing to trace any wider links to organised illegal-entry operations.

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