18 Rohingya, including women and children, detained in Assam’s Cachar

Eighteen illegal Rohingya nationals, including women and children, were detained in Kalain market area of Cachar district on Saturday. They were apprehended by local residents, who later handed them over to the police.

According to sources, the Rohingya individuals were loitering suspiciously in Kalain market when locals confronted them. During questioning by the public, they revealed that they had entered India illegally several years ago after fleeing a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh. They claimed to have been living in Hyderabad for a long time, engaged in labour work.

However, fearing the ongoing crackdown by the Government of India against illegal foreigners, they fled Hyderabad by train and reached Badarpur railway station. From there, they arrived in Kalain with the help of middlemen. The detained individuals confessed that they had planned to cross back into Bangladesh through the India-Bangladesh border in Cachar with the help of local agents.

Upon receiving information, Kalain police reached the spot and took all 18 Rohingya nationals into custody for further interrogation and legal action.

It may be noted that over the past few months, more than 250 illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya nationals have been detained along the India-Bangladesh border in Cachar while attempting to return to Bangladesh. These illegal immigrants are reportedly transported from different parts of India to the border region by an active human trafficking network operating in Katigorah. Despite repeated incidents, no significant action has yet been initiated by the authorities against this organised trafficking syndicate.

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