Children, women among 14 Bengaluru bound Bangladeshi held in Tripura

Four days after National Investigation Agency (NIA) as part of its nation-wide raids against human trafficking and infiltration arrested at least 25 people -- 21 in Tripura and 5 in Assam, Tripura police on Sunday apprehended 14 Bangladeshi for illegally entering into India, officials said.

A senior police official said that the 14 Bangladesh nationals including four women and four children were arrested from a house in bordering Sabroom in southern Tripura.

“The Bangladesh nationals entered southern Tripura illegally on Saturday and stayed at the house of an Indian in Baishnabpur village under Sabroom subdivision. The Bangladeshi told the police that they are trying to go to Bengaluru in search of jobs. We are verifying their claims,” the official told IANS, refusing to be quoted.

Two Indians, including the owner of the house, where they night halt on Saturday night, were also arrested.  

He said that the police in association with the Border Security Forces (BSF) are investigating the illegal entrance of the foreign nationals, who would be produced soon in a local court.

Meanwhile, the NIA in association with Assam police on November 8 arrested 25 people -- 21 in Tripura and 5 in Assam, for their alleged involvement in human trafficking and infiltration-related activities.

The arrested individuals have been taken out of the state for questioning and further legal action.

The NIA in coordination with other security agencies on November 8 conducted raids in Tripura, Assam, West Bengal, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Telangana and Haryana.

A total of 44 operatives have been apprehended and arrested by the NIA from these eight states.

Senior security officials said that a large number of Bangladeshi and Rohingyas were arrested during this year and last year from Tripura and Assam and during the enquiries and questioning of the infiltrators, it was revealed that the illegal migrants were facilitated in entering India through clandestine routes by Indian touts and middlemen, who have been playing a major role in the infiltration and human trafficking.

During the investigation, it was also learnt that touts exist not only on both the sides of India-Bangladesh Border but also on the mainland of the country.

"Investigation revealed that a network of touts existed across India, which was a serious national security concern with inter-state ramifications," a source said, adding that Tripura and Assam are used as corridors for infiltration and human trafficking activities.

The Bangladeshi and Rohingyas illegally enter India through the unfenced and porous India-Bangladesh Border, which shares 1,880-km frontiers with four northeastern --Tripura (856 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Mizoram (318 km) and Assam (263 km).