BALURGHAT: In a late-night operation on Tuesday, police from Tapan Police Station arrested three Bangladeshi nationals from the Nowagaon area under Rampara Chenchra Gram Panchayat (GP) in Tapan Block, South Dinajpur. The detainees have been identified as Samshul Alam (55), Saifukul Ali (45) and Shahjahan Ali (38).
According to police sources, the trio was staying illegally in the region after entering India through unauthorised means. They had reportedly crossed the border and settled in Nowagaon village, where they were residing for some time.
Investigators informed that all three individuals originally hailed from Nawabganj district in Bangladesh and had managed to sneak into Indian territory some months ago. It has also been alleged that they had begun collecting Indian identification documents, including voter ID cards, Aadhaar cards and ration cards, raising serious concerns about illegal documentation and identity fraud.
The arrests were made following a specific tip-off and after surveillance by the local law enforcement team. Following their detention, the accused were presented before the local court, which remanded them to nine days of police custody for further interrogation and investigation.
The police have initiated a deeper probe to ascertain whether there is a wider network involved in facilitating illegal migration and document forgery in the border-adjacent areas. The case has been registered under relevant sections of the Foreigners Act and Indian Penal Code. Authorities have also informed Central intelligence agencies regarding the incident, suspecting a possible larger nexus.