Three Bangladeshi women and an alleged Indian human trafficker were arrested near Agartala airport for illegal entry into Tripura, with police recovering air tickets and investigating a suspected trafficking network facilitating cross-border movement.
Three Bangladeshi women and an alleged Indian human trafficker were arrested near Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport in Agartala on Friday for allegedly entering Tripura illegally, police said.
The arrests were made by a team from the Agartala Airport Police Station following specific information about the movement of suspected Bangladeshi nationals in the area. Acting on the information, police conducted an operation near the airport and detained the three women along with an alleged Indian tout.
Airport Police Station In-charge Sub-Inspector Shyamal Debnath identified the alleged tout as Mazarul Islam, a resident of the Jatrapur police station area in Sepahijala district. The three women are reportedly residents of Khulna district in Bangladesh.
According to police, preliminary interrogation revealed that the three women had allegedly entered Indian territory through the Sonamura border with the assistance of Islam. They were reportedly planning to travel onward to Guwahati by air from Agartala.
Police also recovered air tickets from the possession of the alleged tout during the operation. The recovery of the tickets is being examined as part of the investigation into the intended movement of the three Bangladeshi nationals after their alleged entry into India.
Debnath said the women had allegedly entered India two days before their arrest without valid travel documents. After entering Tripura, they were reportedly preparing to travel to Guwahati, prompting police to investigate the role of the alleged tout and other individuals who may have facilitated their movement.
The four arrested persons were produced before a local court on Friday. Police sought five days of remand to conduct further investigation into the case and establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged illegal entry and planned onward journey.
Police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Passports Act, the Foreigners Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Debnath said. Investigators are now examining the possible involvement of other persons in facilitating the alleged movement of the Bangladeshi nationals into and through Tripura.
According to the police officer, efforts are also underway to identify and apprehend other members of the suspected human trafficking network. Investigators are seeking to determine whether the arrested alleged tout was acting alone or in coordination with a wider network involved in facilitating illegal entry and movement.
The arrests come amid continued security concerns along Tripura’s international border with Bangladesh. In recent months, police and security forces have apprehended several Bangladeshi nationals, Rohingyas and suspected human traffickers from different parts of the state, including areas near the India-Bangladesh border and Agartala Railway Station.
Tripura shares an 856-kilometre international border with Bangladesh and is surrounded by the neighbouring country on three sides. The state’s geographical position makes border security and the monitoring of cross-border movement important areas of concern for security agencies.
Most portions of the international border have been fenced, except for certain stretches. The fencing has been aimed at preventing smuggling, trans-border crimes and unauthorised cross-border movement.
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The latest arrests near Agartala airport have prompted further investigation into the alleged route used to enter India, the role of the suspected tout and the possible involvement of other members of the suspected trafficking network. Police said the investigation remains underway.
