Agartala, April 9: In a significant crackdown on human trafficking, Tripura police intercepted a vehicle in the Sepahijala district on Monday, apprehending two Rohingyas and three Indian touts who had illegally cross the border from Bangladesh into India said a police official.
Inspector Rana Chatterjee, officer in charge of Bishalghar police station said, the suspects were apprehended while traveling towards the Agartala railway station with intentions to transport the foreigners to other parts of the country.
He claimed that the police had received prior information about human trafficking activities and were on alert. Their vigilance paid off when they noticed suspicious activity at an inter-district police checkpoint in the Uttam Bhakta Chowmhuni area. Despite attempts to evade the police, a Maruti Omni vehicle with registration number TR-01-W-0409 was chased down and apprehended. Upon searching the vehicle, authorities discovered two Myanmar nationals, identified as Harul and Mohammed Jahangir Alam, along with three Indian touts from the Rahimpur area of the same district and identified as Harul, Mohammed Jahangir Alam, Mohammed Faruk Mia, Abdul Rashed, and Rubel.
All five individuals were promptly arrested, and the vehicle was seized.
Inspector Chatterjee revealed that the suspects had unlawfully entered India with the intention to reside here.
Police are currently conducting thorough investigations and interrogations to ascertain how the suspects managed to cross the border despite tightened vigilance, especially in light of the upcoming general parliamentary elections.
A specific case has been registered against them under relevant sections of the Indian Foreigner Act.
This latest incident underscores the ongoing challenges faced by law enforcement agencies in curbing human trafficking activities across the long 856 Km India-Bangladesh border in Tripura and highlights the need for continued vigilance and stringent measures to combat this illicit trade.
