16 Bangladeshis arrested in Meghalaya

Shillong, September 28 (PTI): At least 16 Bangladesh infiltrators, including three women were arrested and three children accompanying them were detained at a border village in Meghalaya while they were on way to Kashmir, state home department official and BSF said on Tuesday.

Acting on Intelligence inputs, BSF personnel of the Rynkhua out post had launched an operation at the suspected unfenced route near Indo-Bangladesh international border on Monday.

At about 3:30 pm suspicious movements of some people near the international border was reported and later 16 Bangladesh infiltrators, including two touts were caught and arrested, a BSF spokesperson said here.

The arrested are residents of Sunamganj district of Bangladesh, he said adding they had no valid travel documents.

BSF Meghalaya Frontier IG, I S Rana said they confessed during preliminary questioning that one of the touts had facilitated them in crossing the international border of Bangladesh to India to take them to Kashmir, where they would work as labourers.

"The apprehended Bangladeshi nationals are being handed over to the police station concerned for further legal action. They were arrested by the police. Procedures for the minors will be taken as per law," the state home department official said. PTI JOP