The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids in Tripura’s Unakoti district, targeting two residents for alleged document forgery linked to illegal border crossings. The operation follows recent Delhi blasts, raising suspicions of cross-border terror connections via Bangladesh.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday carried out raids at two residences in Tripura’s Unakoti district, intensifying its probe into a suspected document forgery and illegal cross-border movement network.
According to official sources, the searches were conducted at the residences of Paritosh Shil (45), a barber residing under Kailashahar Police Station, and Ranu Pal (42), a hawker from Kumarghat Police Station. Both individuals are suspected of involvement in preparing forged identity documents that could have facilitated the illegal stay or movement of individuals across the India–Bangladesh border.
Raids Amid Security Alert After Delhi Blasts
The timing of the NIA’s operation has drawn particular attention, coming just two days after the Delhi blasts, which killed several innocent people and raised the national security alert level. While the NIA has not issued any official statement linking the raids to the blasts, local sources noted that investigators were specifically seeking details of one “Rahim Ali”, a name suspected to have surfaced during earlier intelligence intercepts related to the Delhi attack investigation.
An officer familiar with the case, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the NIA might be probing whether Tripura’s border routes were being exploited as potential escape corridors by suspects or their associates attempting to flee into Bangladesh.
Locals Questioned, Digital Evidence Seized
During the search at Paritosh Shil’s house, NIA officials reportedly examined multiple documents and confiscated mobile phones, bank passbooks, and other materials suspected to hold evidence of illegal transactions or communication with foreign nationals.
Speaking briefly to the media, Shil confirmed the NIA visit, stating:
“They searched my home and checked all my documents. Later, they seized my phone and bank passbook. The officials asked me to appear at their Ahmedabad office on November 20.”
Shil also mentioned that the investigators showed him a photograph of a man named Rahim Ali, asking if he knew or had communicated with him.
“I told them that I don’t know anyone by that name and have never contacted him,” he added.
In a parallel operation, NIA officers also searched the residence of Ranu Pal in Kumarghat, questioning him about his alleged role in facilitating the preparation of fake identity papers. Though the agency has remained tight-lipped, sources close to the investigation suggested that both suspects are believed to have links to underground networks engaged in cross-border financial and identity fraud activities.
NIA Expands Probe Into Forgery and Terror Links
While the Tripura Police confirmed that their personnel provided logistical support during the operation, they maintained that the raids were part of an ongoing NIA probe into an older case of document forgery and financial irregularities.
This is not the first time the NIA has turned its attention to Tripura’s border districts, known for their porous borders with Bangladesh. In November last year, NIA teams raided multiple locations in Sonamura (Sepahijala district) and simultaneously conducted operations in Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam, targeting operatives and sympathisers linked to Al-Qaeda’s Bangladesh-based network.
Those searches had led to the seizure of incriminating materials, including digital storage devices and documents linked to terror financing and radicalisation activities. The recent Unakoti raids, sources said, may be a continuation of that broader investigation, which seeks to trace how illegal document forgery and money laundering networks might be aiding terror-related movements across India’s eastern borders.
Border Vigilance Strengthened Amid Ongoing Investigations
Following the raids, local security agencies have reportedly tightened surveillance across the Tripura–Bangladesh border, particularly in Unakoti and North Tripura districts. Intelligence officials are monitoring suspicious cross-border communications and financial transactions, fearing that forged documents might be used to shelter or facilitate suspects connected to the Delhi blasts or other terror-linked activities.
Though no arrests have been made yet, the raids underscore the NIA’s growing focus on border-linked forgery and illegal migration networks, which officials believe are often used by extremist outfits for covert operations and logistics.
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As the investigation unfolds, more details are expected to emerge regarding the extent of the forgery ring and its possible ties to cross-border networks in Bangladesh.
