Tripura woman arrested for cross-border trafficking of Bangladeshis, Rohingyas
Police said the woman, whose house is beside the border fence, used to assist Bangladeshi citizens and Rohingyas in crossing the Indo-Bangla international border, and she even harboured them
A woman was arrested on Tuesday for her alleged involvement in cross-border human trafficking of Bangladeshis and Rohingyans, from her home at Matinagar village of Tripura’s Sepahijala district, located at the Indo-Bangla international border, said police.
The woman, identified as Parul Akhter, was arrested after a joint operation by the Government Railway Police (GRP), Border Security Force (BSF) and the Tripura Police.
“We took a case on March 30 over the arrest of 30 Bangladeshi nationals. Many were given police custody for investigation. During our interrogation and from mobile phones seized from the arrestees, we found her involvement with these cases. She had been absconding since then, but we came to know that she had come to her home last night. So, we along with state Police and BSF laid ambush near her house and arrested her after sunrise according to the law,” said GRP officer in-charge at Agartala Railway Station, Tapas Das.
He added that Akhter, whose house is beside the border fence, used to assist Bangladeshi citizens and Rohingyas in crossing the Indo-Bangla international border and she even harboured them.
“We shall take legal action against any person who are involved in these cases. We are investigating to find out those who are involved in human trafficking by using the Agartala Railway Station,” said the official.
According to the BSF report this year, 744 persons were detained for illegally crossing the international border during operations in 2023. Of them, 112 are Rohingyas, 337 Bangladeshi nationals and 295 Indians.
In 2022, the BSF detained 369 persons for entering India illegally along the international border with Bangladesh. Of them, 59 were Rohingyas, 160 Indians and 150 Bangladeshis.
Tripura shares total 856 kilometres long international border with Bangladesh, parts of which are yet to be fenced.