7 more Bangladesh nationals, two Indian touts held in Tripura for illegally entering India

Agartala, Sep 1 (IANS) The Border Security Force (BSF) has arrested seven more Bangladesh nationals, including five women and a child, along with two Indian touts in Tripura's Gomati district on Sunday, officials said.  
 
 

A BSF Spokesman said that on specific information, a joint mobile checkpost with the sister agency laid a trap in the Bhatiabari Border Outpost under the Gomati district and arrested the Bangladeshi intruders.

He added that the apprehended nationals were from different parts of Bangladesh, including Khulna, Feni, Dhaka, Munshiganj, and Norai districts.

"Questioning of the illegal intruders is in progress. The Indian touts helped the Bangladeshi nationals to infiltrate Indian territory illegally."

The BSF has stepped up domination and vigil along the border in Tripura to prevent infiltration and trans-border crimes, a Paramilitary Force statement said.

With Sunday's detention, the BSF and the Government Railway Police (GRP) have arrested 14 Bangladeshi nationals and two Rohingyas for illegally entering Tripura during the past 48 hours.

Over the last three months, more than 320 Bangladeshi nationals and 34 Rohingyas have been held by the BSF, GRP, and Tripura Police from the Agartala railway station and other places in the state for illegally entering the Indian territory.

After the trouble and violence began in the neighbouring country in June this year, security along the India-Bangladesh frontiers was further tightened and a close vigil has been maintained.

The BSF Spokesman said that during the past two months, the force has foiled several infiltration bids in different bordering areas of the northeastern states.

Given ongoing unrest and political crisis in Bangladesh, the BSF has stepped up its vigilance along the India-Bangladesh border with northeastern states and maintained close coordination with Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) at various levels, he added.

To heighten the security along the border, the BSF has also introduced a multi-pronged strategy to prevent trans-border crime and illegal infiltration, with state-of-the-art hand-held thermal imagers and drones have been inducted.

BSF Director General Daljit Singh Chawdhary; Additional Director General, BSF, Eastern Command, Ravi Gandhi; and Inspector Generals of BSF's four frontiers in the northeastern region are regularly visiting the border areas and closely reviewing the preparedness of the troopers.

Gandhi is also heading a committee constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs to monitor the current situation on the India-Bangladesh border, which spans 1,880 km with Tripura (856 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Mizoram (318 km) and Assam (263 km).

--IANS

sc/khz