Guwahati, 07 October (HS): Guwahati Police have arrested 18 Bangladeshi nationals in two separate operations conducted on October 6 and 7, Assam Police headquarters said.

Acting on inputs from the Border Branch of the Guwahati Police Commissionerate, police raided Shanti Hotel around 2.30 pm on October 7 and apprehended 13 Bangladeshi nationals, including four men, four women and five children. Police said they had travelled to Guwahati from Delhi earlier in the day and were allegedly planning to return to Bangladesh.

During interrogation, the group reportedly told police that they had been residing illegally near Pantha Chowk in Srinagar for the past 14-15 years. They allegedly left Srinagar following a police crackdown on illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and came to Guwahati to return to Bangladesh.

In a separate operation on October 6, the Border Branch of Panbazar Police Station detained five Bangladeshi nationals, including four women and a man, during a check inside a general coach of the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Express (Train No. 15648) at Guwahati Railway Station. The train was scheduled to depart for Mumbai around 3 pm.

Police recovered three Aadhaar cards from the group, one of which was found to be genuine. Preliminary investigation suggested that they were planning to travel to Mumbai in search of employment. Police said they had allegedly entered India illegally through the Meghalaya border without valid travel or identity documents.

The five detainees identified themselves as residents of Dhaka, Bogura, Rajbari, Narail and Jamalpur districts of Bangladesh.

During questioning, they reportedly disclosed that they had stayed at Vintage Home hotel in Tokobari, Guwahati. Panbazar Police Station has registered case No. 225/26 against the hotel owner and other staff for allegedly providing shelter to illegal immigrants and colluding with Bangladeshi agents.

Police have arrested four persons in connection with the case, including hotel owner Amit Roy Basumatary. Hazrat Ali, Bishal Paul and Ranjan Dhar were also arrested in separate operations led by Panbazar Police Station OC Dr Shankar Jyoti Nath.

Further legal proceedings have been initiated for the deportation of the detained Bangladeshi nationals under the provisions of the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950.------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash