Agartala, May 11, 2024: In a dawn operation on Saturday morning, Agartala Railway Police apprehended eight Bangladeshi nationals along with one Indian citizen at Agartala’s Badharghat railway station. Acting on undisclosed intelligence, law enforcement officials intercepted the group as they allegedly attempted to exit Tripura during day time to Bangladesh.
Tapas Das, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Agartala Railway Police Station, revealed that a tip-off prompted the deployment of police personnel at the railway station. “We received information indicating that several Bangladeshi nationals intended to leave the country via the Kanchanjunga Express,” stated OC Das. “In response, the railway police maintained vigilance at the station and promptly detained the individuals upon their arrival.”
A total of nine individuals were taken into custody, with one being identified as an Indian resident while the remaining eight hailed from Bangladesh. Preliminary interrogation revealed that some among the apprehended individuals harbored intentions of traveling to Pune or Mumbai. However, the exact motives behind their actions remain under investigation.
The arrestees are- Sentu Kumar Deb (59) of Madhya Boxanagar, Paschimpara under Sepahijala district in Tripura; Taniya Hasan Shaikh (26) of Manirampur village under Jashore district in Bangladesh; Sathi Khatun (35) of Diyapara Adarsha village under Jashore district in Bangladesh; Sumi Shaikh (28) of Naokhola village under Sariatpur district in Bangladesh; Rupa Shaikh (26) of Fuliya village under Comilla district in Bangladesh; Rezwan Shaikh (19) of Haralia village under Norail district in Bangladesh; Beauty Khatun alias Tumpa (27) of Sakharghati village under Jashore district in Bangladesh; Supiya Shaikh (36) of Laskarpara village under Norail district in Bangladesh; and Majeda Biswas alias Pinki (31) of Baroihati village under Satkhira district in Bangladesh.
“We are currently conducting thorough interrogations to ascertain whether these individuals are victims of human trafficking or if they sought to leave the state for employment purposes,” asserted OC Das. A case has been registered against the detainees, and on Saturday, law enforcement authorities applied for their remand, subsequently presenting them before the court.
As the investigation progresses, authorities remain vigilant to uncover the underlying circumstances motivating the attempted border crossing. The outcome of the inquiry will shed light on whether these individuals were unwitting victims or engaged in illicit activities.
