Five Bangladeshi nationals suspected of entering India illegally were arrested by Ri-Bhoi police today. Two of them were impersonating Indian citizens and possessed fake Aadhaar cards.
The individuals have been identified as Sahin Akhtar (31), Mozibor Rahman (42), Prasanto Das (26), Suma Akhtar (27) and Mamadur Rahman (32). They were intercepted during a vehicle check near the Mawtnum petrol pump while travelling in an Assam-registered vehicle (AS 01SC 4410).
Upon being asked to produce identification, only two of the five could present any paperwork – these were in the names of Sahin Khan and Rony Khan (Sahin Akhtar and Mozibor Rahman respectively), purportedly from Bangalore. The other three had no documents whatsoever.
Upon verification, the police discovered that the presented documents, particularly the Aadhaar cards, were forged and unverified by UIDAI. Following this discovery, the individuals were taken to Nongpoh police station for further investigation. During interrogation, all five confessed to being Bangladeshi nationals who had illegally entered India.
Superintendent of Police VS Rathore stated, “During questioning, they admitted to crossing into India illegally through Cheragaon, Shella, without any legal documents. They each paid Rs 16,000 to a known trafficker named Hussain (also known as Tunu Miah), who escorted them to a pick-up point where a vehicle was waiting to transport them to Shillong.”
The driver who brought them to Shillong later contacted the driver of the Assam-registered vehicle, who then took custody of the group at the 101 Area in Upper Shillong. The Bangladeshi nationals further disclosed that an unidentified individual was scheduled to receive them at Guwahati Railway Station and facilitate their travel to Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.
Investigations are ongoing to uncover others involved in this operation.
