Agartala, June 27: In a significant move amid rising calls for stricter border control, Agartala police on Friday arrested two Bangladeshi women and an Indian tout for illegal entry into Tripura.
Rana Chatterjee, Officer-in-Charge of East Agartala Police Station, confirmed the arrests and said the operation was carried out based on specific intelligence inputs about the presence of suspected Bangladeshi nationals near the North Gate area.
A mobile patrol team led by Sub-Inspectors Kamala Murasingh and Sameresh Chakma apprehended the two women—Ruma Sheikh from Narayanganj and Aklima Aktar from Sunamganj—along with their alleged handler Krishna Debnath, a resident of Natunbazar in South Tripura district.
The two Bangladeshi nationals failed to produce valid travel documents and were booked under provisions of the Foreigners Act. The Indian tout has been charged with abetting their illegal entry into the country.
Inspector Chatterjee stated that all three accused will be produced before the court with a request for police remand to enable further investigation into the broader infiltration network.
The arrests come amid increasing pressure on the state government from tribal allies of the ruling BJP—TIPRA Motha and the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT). Both parties have demanded stronger action against illegal immigration, which they say threatens the demographic balance and security of indigenous communities.
These developments follow a recent directive from the Union Home Ministry urging northeastern states to step up efforts in identifying and deporting illegal immigrants, particularly from Bangladesh—a longstanding issue in Tripura.
The police said they will continue intensified surveillance and crackdowns in border-adjacent areas as part of broader efforts to curb cross-border infiltration.
