In a joint operation, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Assam Police picked up 47 people on Wednesday who allegedly acted as middlemen for facilitating Rohingyas to enter India illegally, said Assam Police.
“After meticulous planning, a country-wide operation was launched by the NIA and Assam Police during the wee hours of November 8, in association with various state police forces. In the operation, so far, a total of 47 touts and middlemen have been picked up,” said Harmeet Singh, Special DGP, Assam.
Among those who have been picked up, 25 are from Tripura, five from Assam, three from West Bengal, nine from Karnataka, one each from Haryana and Telangana, and three from Tamil Nadu, said the police officer.
According to the Assam Police, in the month of February 2023, a group of Rohingyas were detected on a train coming from Tripura at Karimganj Railway Station by the Karimganj Police. After thorough investigation, it came to light that illegal Rohingyas and infiltrators were entering India through the Indo-Bangladesh border.
After the incident, Assam Police increased the vigil and operations, resulting in 450 illegal migrants (Rohingyas and Bangladeshis) being stopped and turned back with the assistance of the Border Guarding Forces.
During the course of inquiries and questioning, it was ascertained that the illegal migrants were facilitated in entering India illegally by middlemen, who have been playing a major role in the infiltration, said the police.
During the investigation, it was also found that the middlemen exist not only on both sides of the Indo-Bangladesh border but also on the mainland. Thus, the police began an operation to root out the network of middlemen.
According to the police, the Special Task Force (STF) of Assam launched the operation in July 2023 and was able to arrest 10 such touts or middlemen.
The police said that further investigation revealed that the network of middlemen existed across India, which was a serious national security concern with inter-state ramifications.
Therefore, the government of Assam requested the MHA, Government of India, to transfer one of the cases to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), given the fact that Assam was being used as a corridor for this anti-national activity.
Accordingly, the NIA took up the case through an investigation and a collaborative effort with the Assam Police.
NIA & Assam Police collated the list of Touts who were involved in this nefarious crime, said the police.
