Agartala: Security agencies have arrested 12 Bangladeshi nationals in two separate incidents over the past 24 hours in Tripura, amid heightened border vigilance and enhanced security measures across the state in the light of escalating Indo-Pakistan border tensions.
The first arrest took place on Thursday night in Agartala’s Lichubagan area of Tripura, where police officers on night patrol spotted a man behaving suspiciously.
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Upon questioning, the individual identified himself as Litan Miah, a Bangladeshi citizen.
Police later confirmed that he had entered Indian territory without valid travel documents. He was taken into custody and produced before a local court on Friday.
In a separate incident on Friday, residents of Krishnanagar Gram Panchayat in Sabroom subdivision under South Tripura district intercepted a group of 11 Bangladeshi nationals, including three men, four women, and four children, who had taken shelter in an abandoned house. The property reportedly belonged to a local resident, Dhananjay Debnath.
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Locals, suspicious of their presence, surrounded the group and alerted authorities. Personnel from the Border Security Force (BSF) and state police reached the spot and took the group into custody.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the individuals had travelled from Gujarat to Tripura, with the apparent intention of crossing into Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Manik Saha convened a high-level security meeting on Friday at his official residence. Senior officials from the BSF, Assam Rifles, and various intelligence agencies participated in the meeting, which focused on enhancing security along the international border.
Security agencies have since ramped up surveillance at all key transit points, including railway stations and the state airport. Authorities have also expressed concern over criminals using rented premises to evade detection and have urged citizens to report tenant details to local police for verification.
An investigation is ongoing to ascertain the motives behind the illegal entries and trace potential links to larger cross-border networks.
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