Guwahati, May 19 (IANS) Three Bangladeshi nationals, including a woman, were apprehended by police in Assam’s Cachar district for allegedly entering India illegally, officials said on Tuesday.
The trio was detained by police personnel from the Gumrah police outpost under Katigorah police station during a routine checking operation carried out in the area, officials added.
According to police, the arrested individuals have been identified as Mohammad Awal, Reena Akhtar and Mohammad Harun. All three are suspected to have crossed into Indian territory from neighbouring Bangladesh without valid travel documents.
A police official said that the operation was conducted based on specific inputs regarding the movement of suspected illegal migrants in the Katigorah area of southern Assam’s Cachar district.
“The three individuals were intercepted during checking, and subsequent verification revealed that they were unable to produce any valid Indian identity documents or legal papers authorising their stay in the country,” the official said.
Police officials suspect that the trio may have entered Assam through an unfenced or porous stretch along the Indo-Bangladesh border before moving towards Cachar district.
Interrogation of the detainees is currently underway to ascertain the route of entry, possible local links and whether any organised network was involved in facilitating their movement.
The official said that legal proceedings have been initiated against the accused under relevant provisions of the Foreigners Act and Passport Act.
Security agencies in Assam, particularly in districts bordering Bangladesh and those connected through transit routes, have intensified surveillance and checking drives in recent months to curb illegal infiltration and cross-border movement.
Cachar district, located in the Barak Valley region of southern Assam, shares connectivity with neighbouring states and has remained under close watch by law enforcement agencies over concerns related to illegal migration and trafficking networks.
Police said the arrested persons may be pushed back into Bangladesh after completion of preliminary interrogation and documentation procedures.
Further investigation is underway to determine whether the accused had any intended destination within Assam or elsewhere in the country and whether more individuals were involved in the alleged illegal entry network.
–IANS
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