Guwahati: The Special Task Force (STF), Assam, under the direction of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, launched an all-out operation against linkmen and touts involved in aiding Rohingiya Muslims’ illegal entry into Indian territory. The operation resulted in the arrest of 8 suspected linkmen/touts of Rohingya Muslims.
An official release stated that the operation was conducted across various bordering districts of Tripura and is related to the STF case No. 01/2023, invoking Sections 120(B), 121A, 153A(1)(b), 420, 468, and 471 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) along with Section 12(1)(a), 12(1A)(a)(b), and 12(2) of the Passport Act.
As part of the operation, five police teams, each headed by officers of the ASP/Dy.SP level, were deployed to conduct searches in hideout locations in Tripura. These locations were known to be frequented by linkmen and touts involved in facilitating the illegal entry of Rohingya Muslims into India using forged identification and travel documents. These illegal immigrants were then presented as Indian citizens, posing a major threat to national security, officials stated.
According to police sources, the touts’ modus operandi involved transporting Rohingya Muslims from Bangladesh into India, causing internal disturbance and jeopardising the unity, integrity, and sovereignty of the nation.
The touts also assisted illegal Rohingya immigrants in boarding trains bound for Delhi from Kumarghat Railway Station, Tripura. Additionally, they facilitated their further travel on Kolkata/Delhi/Hyderabad/Bangalore bound trains from Dharmanagar, Kumarghat (Tripura), and Badarpur (Assam) using fake IDs and forged documents.
As a result of the search and raid operations, the STF Assam successfully apprehended eight suspects involved in the illegal trafficking of Rohingiya Muslims. The arrested individuals include:
- Tout Uttam Pal of Dalugaon, Unakoti, Tripura
- Tout Kajal Sarkar of Kamalghat, West Tripura
- Tout Sagar Sarkar of Kamalghat, West Tripura
- Tout Pervez Hussain, also known as Abdul Hussain, of Sepahijela District, Tripura
- Tout Md. Shaahadat, also known as Sahadat SK, of Chandpur, who is a Bangladeshi national
- Tout Shib Sankar Ghosh, also known as Boto, of Belonia, South Tripura
- Tout Kartik Nama of Belonia, South Tripura
- Tout Bijoy Barua, a Bangladeshi tout from Chittagong, Bangladesh
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Assam’s STF is continuing its investigation to dismantle the entire network of touts involved in anti-India activities and to ensure the safety and security of the nation, stated an official release.
The STF plans to conduct further operations in other parts of the country where similar touts aiding Rohingya Muslims have been identified, the release added.
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