Amidst tight security across the international border with Tripura in the run up to the upcoming Parliamentary elections, seven Bangladesh nationals, who illegally crossed into India, were arrested at the Agartala Railway Station in Badharghat on Saturday.

The Bangladeshi nationals were held just before they were to board the Kanchenjunga Express for their destination towards Chennai.

Speaking to the media, the Government Railway Police (GRP) office in-charge (OC) at Badharghat railway station, Tapas Das, said on Saturday morning during a routine checking by the GRP, RPF and the special branch of the Tripura Police along with some BSF personnel,  the joint team of the security forces noticed suspected movements of some individuals, who were ready to board Kanchenjunga express towards Kolkata.

The security forces, over their suspicion, managed to detain the seven Bangladesh nationals based on their suspicious activities.

Das added that among the detained Bangladesh nationals, two were male persons attired with female dresses and tried to pose like women before their entry to the express train . “Initially, we suspected they might have eunuch or  ‘kinnar’, but during interrogation, they have confessed that all of them are Bangladesh citizens and are male persons,’ said OC.

The official said the Bangladesh nationals couldn’t exactly tell which part of Tripura they used to cross the international border but said it took them an hour or so to reach the railway station from the border. “We are assuming they used Comilla or adjoining areas to cross into Indian soil,” said Das.

Asked if the sleuths have found the reason behind their illegal entry defying tight security ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the official said they have seized a few smartphones from them and the devices are being checked to ascertain if they have any connection with any international groups.

He said that a specific  complaint under Foreigner AcT and IT Act was registered with the Government Railway Police station at Badharghat to unearth further details about the arrested Bangla nationals and they were also produced before a local court for further legal proceedings.

Earlier, on Friday  two persons were nabbed also at the same railway station based on their suspicious movements. One of them later turned out to be a Bangladeshi girl while the other was identified as an Indian tout. Touts are people who assist people to illegally cross over to India.

Tripura, which is surrounded by Bangladesh on three sides, shares an 856-km-long international border, parts of which are still unfenced in patches due to local disputes over land and demarcation-related issues.