Bhubaneswar: Special Task Force (STF) officials Sunday arrested 10 Bangladeshi nationals, including a juvenile, at Bhubaneswar Railway Station for allegedly entering Odisha illegally.
The arrested persons were reportedly traveling on the Dibrugarh-Chennai Express without valid visas or passports.
Acting on a tip-off from confidential sources, an STF team conducted a raid at the platform of Bhubaneswar railway station and apprehended six men, three women, and a minor, an official source said.
Upon interrogation, the detainees admitted they were Bangladeshi nationals who had crossed the border illegally near Dhubri in Assam with the help of an agent. They had travelled to Bhubaneswar intending to reside here, the source added.
During the search, authorities recovered seven mobile phones, Bangladeshi currency, and Indian currency from their possession. Since they entered India without valid travel documents while concealing their identities, a case was registered against them, the source informed.
The arrested individuals have been identified as:
- Md. Hasim, 46, son of the late Idrish Halli, from Gangghatia, Bhaluka, Mymensingh district, Bangladesh.
- Sojib Khan, also known as Md. Sojib, 24, son of Mahammad Muktesh Khan, from Sarankhola Rayndia, Bagerhat district, Bangladesh.
- Allam Shaika, 41, son of the late Wazid Sheikh, from Godara, Morelganj, Bagerhat district, Bangladesh.
- Md. Azeem, 40, son of the late Md. Muslim Khan, from Chhotabadra, Morelganj, Bagerhat district, Bangladesh.
- Dilara Sheikh, also known as Altaf, 45, son of Munaf Sheikh, from Sankibang, Morelganj, Bagerhat district, Bangladesh.
- Md. Soha Talukdar, 36, son of Abdul Khaliq Talukdar, from Sanyashigram, Morelganj, Bagerhat district, Bangladesh.
- Karima Begum, 25, wife of Md. Soha Talukdar, from Sanyashigram, Morelganj, Bagerhat district, Bangladesh.
- Monira Begum, 30, wife of Nasir Gazi, from Chandipur, Indukali, Prispur district, Bangladesh.
- Sahana Begum, 45, wife of the late Jamir Alli Sheikh, from Dhamrai, Dhaka district, Bangladesh.
- One juvenile, aged 14.
All accused have been arrested and sent to judicial custody, while further investigation is underway.
PNN