Tura, Feb 14: A group of eight Bangladeshi nationals who had illegally entered India through the Garo Hills border and were making their way out of Tura towards the mainland were intercepted by a joint team of Meghalaya Police, CRPF and BSF at the Chandmari field exit point of town on Thursday evening. An Indian facilitator who was leading them out in a vehicle was also arrested.
The interception took place following a tip off about the movement to security forces. The group had planned to cross into Assam and West Bengal, it was alleged.
How the group managed to cross the international border and travel such a long distance, Tura is almost 52kms away from the nearest border point at Dalu, remains a mystery but support from some unscrupluous locals in the border area are not being ruled out.
The eight illegal foreign nationals had almost made it out of Tura- they were being ferried in a Toyota Innova bearing registration number AS 01 GC 7050, when a police team halted their vehicle outside the Chandmari field at approximately 6:30 Thursday evening.
The eight Bangladeshi nationals have been identified as:
1. Sahan Sardar from Purulia village, Dewada Upazila, Sakthira district.
2. Md Habibul Rahman (24 years) from Ghona village, Sakthira district.
3. Sahidul Islam (50), from Sehara village, Galiganj Upazila, Sakthira district.
4. Md Milon (23) from Sekondra village, Dewada Police Station, Sakthira district.
5. Azgar Gazi (28) from Sreepur village, Dewada Police Station, Sakthira district.
6. Md Sohel (28) from Battarkatta village, Sakthira district.
7. Almamun (28) from Gina village, Sakthira district.
8. Md Tuhin (26) from Sekondra village, Dewada Police Station, Sakthira district.
The Indian national who was driving the foreign nationals in his car haa been identified as Abhijit Das, who resides in Bhattipari, West Bengal, and is currently under interrogation to determine his involvement in the incident.
This is the 4th time such a large number of Bangladeshi nationals have been intercepted in West Garo Hills in the last three months. Another similar group was intercepted weeks ago in the plain belt town of Hallydayganj and another at Dalu.
