Eleven illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, including four minors, and a human trafficker from West Bengal, were arrested from a remote village in Meghalayas South Garo Hills district, officials said.
The illegal immigrants took advantage of the absence of a border fence along the Indo-Bangladesh border and entered the country with an aim to settle permanently here, they said.
We have arrested seven Bangladeshi nationals who were caught fleeing their country by the BSF," district SP Abraham T Sangma told PTI.
He said the arrested were remanded to judicial custody.
The four minors, belonging to the age group of 2 and 5 years, who were travelling with the adult immigrants were dealt with as per law, he said.
The BSF had apprehended the 11 Bangladesh nationals during a routine check of vehicles on NH-62 which connects the district headquarter and Tura, the division headquarter of Garo Hills division.
The Bangladeshi nationals are residents of Netrakona and Sunamganj district of Bangladesh and had crossed the Indo Bangladesh border with an aim to travel up to Coochbehar in West Bengal, a BSF spokesperson said.
He said that ahead of the general elections in Bangladesh, the Hindus in that country are feeling insecure and illegally entering India.
A resident of Kalarayekuthi village in Coochbehar district of West Bengal, has been approaching the Bangladeshis to cross over, a BSF official said.
According to the BSF, the arrested Bangladeshi nationals, said that their family members have already migrated to Coochbehar and have settled there.
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