Amid heightened border security along the India-Bangladesh frontier, infiltration attempts from neighbouring Bangladesh into Tripura continue to pose challenges for security agencies and again on Sunday, Police have arrested eight Bangladeshi nationals in two intelligence-based operations at Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) Airport in Agartala, thwarting their alleged attempt to travel to other parts of the country and uncovering what investigators suspect could be a wider cross-border infiltration network.
The arrests were made on June 26 and June 27 following specific intelligence inputs received by the Airport Police.
While speaking with media persons, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Airport police station, Inspector Susanta Deb, said police had received credible information that four Bangladeshi nationals would arrive at MBB Airport on June 26 to board a flight to another state.
"Acting on the intelligence input, and with the assistance of airport authorities, they have successfully arrested all four individuals," said Deb.
The four suspects were taken to the Airport police station for questioning. During interrogation, investigators obtained fresh leads that prompted another operation at the adjoining areas of the airport on June 27, resulting in the arrest of four more Bangladeshi nationals.
With the second operation, the total number of Bangladeshi nationals arrested in the two-day crackdown rose to eight.
Inspector Deb said four of the accused were produced before a local court on Sunday, while the remaining four are in police custody. Police have sought a five-day remand of the latter to facilitate further interrogation.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the arrested individuals were planning to travel to other cities of the country by air. However, police are examining their complete travel itinerary, the route through which they allegedly entered India, and whether an organised network facilitated their illegal entry and onward movement.
"The route they used and the persons involved are being verified. We expect to gather more information during police remand," said Deb.
Police have seized the accused persons' belongings, including mobile phones, fake Aadhar cards and passports, which are being examined for digital evidence.
Inspector Deb confirmed that all eight arrested persons are men. Investigators are continuing efforts to identify other individuals who may have played a role in facilitating the alleged cross-border infiltration.
Meanwhile, speaking with media persons, one arrested Bangladeshi said that they have entered Indian territory towards their journey to Portugal and they have each paid Rs. 20 lakh to an agent for their work permit.
Tripura shares an 856-km international border with Bangladesh and is surrounded by the neighbouring country on three sides. Although more than 95 per cent of the border has been fenced with barbed wire, illegal infiltration, smuggling, human trafficking and other cross-border crimes continue to pose significant security challenges.
Security forces have intensified vigilance along the border in recent months, leading to a significant reduction in infiltration attempts. The Border Security Force (BSF) has also stepped up operations to detect and push back illegal entrants along the border stretches of Tripura and other Northeastern states.
Against this backdrop, the Government of India has recently announced pilot projects for Smart Border Management in Tripura to strengthen surveillance and enhance border security through advanced technology.