Government Railway Police (GRP) stationed across six police stations in Tripura have detained a total of 434 illegal immigrants, including Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas, over the past 1.5 years. These arrests were made after the immigrants entered Tripura illegally via the international border. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior Tripura Police official informed India Today NE that in 2023 alone, 294 illegal immigrants were apprehended, out of which 76 were Rohingyas and the rest Bangladeshi nationals. From January 2024 till date, 140 immigrants have been arrested, with only three identified as Rohingyas. Tripura shares an 856 km border with Bangladesh, making it a vulnerable point for illegal crossings facilitated by middlemen known as touts. Last year, 51 Indian touts were arrested, with an additional 26 nabbed this year, bringing the total to 77 individuals who aided illegal border crossings.
Regarding legal actions taken, the official stated that 103 cases have been registered, with 75 filed in 2023 and 28 in 2024 so far. The detained immigrants typically use Agartala Railway Station as a transit point, boarding express trains to major Indian cities where they seek employment in various sectors such as rag picking, masonry, and construction.
In addition to combating illegal immigration, Tripura’s GRP has also achieved significant success in drug seizures. In 2023, 239 drug peddlers were arrested, with 86 cases registered against them. In 2024, 150 peddlers have already been apprehended, leading to 63 cases being filed. The seizures included over 2,300 kg of ganja, 8,000 bottles of banned cough syrup, and 314 grams of heroin. Recently, three individuals were also arrested under the Arms Act for carrying a pistol on a train.
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