Infiltration of Rohingyas in Northeast worrying: Assam CM

Guwahati (IANS). Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said that the infiltration of Rohingyas in the Northeast is a matter of concern.

The Chief Minister said, “There is a network of touts who bring Rohingyas to Tripura and from there to Assam and rest of the country. Our police are now working closely with the state government in Tripura to take action against them.”

Soon after Sarma’s remarks, Tripura Police said in a tweet: “Tripura Police is strongly determined to act against illegal immigration including Rohingyas in coordination with other agencies. A total of 354 illegal immigrants including Rohingyas arrived till June this year. The border brokers/facilitators have been arrested by the Tripura Police.”

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha told the just-concluded session of the state assembly that 50 km of the 856-km Indo-Bangladesh border with Tripura could not be fenced due to various reasons, including objections from the Border Guards Bangladesh.

Saha had said that infiltrators, smugglers and drug smugglers are also taking advantage of cross-border movement and carrying out their illegal trade through these unfenced borders.

Tripura Chief Minister said that 18 BSF battalions have been deployed along the India-Bangladesh border in the state and the state police, in coordination with the BSF, is keeping a strict vigil in the border villages to prevent infiltration, smuggling.