Tripura Police detained 24 suspected Rohingyas including women and children from Kailashahar in Unakoti district on Monday.
The Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Kailashahar said the 24 suspected Rohingyas were detained near Naka point on the Airport road at the entrance of Kailashahar. Police are interrogating the detainees to reveal their identity and other details.
The 24 suspected Rohingyas were travelling in three vehicles from Kumarghat railway station to Kailashahar. When they reached Kailashahar Naka Point, the local people became suspicious after noticing their movements and detained them. Then locals handed them over to police.
The Kailashahar police also detained the drivers of the three vehicles in which the suspected Rohingyas were travelling.
According to the drivers, they were paid Rs. 100 as transportation cost per person. According to them, a middleman finalized the deal for transportation from Kumarghat to Kailashahar. As the suspected Rohingyas were detained, the middleman fled away.
Meanwhile, refugee cards issued by the UNHCR were found available with some of the detainees.
Sources claimed that they entered into the India territory through Jammu and Kashmir. After that, they reached Kumarghat of Tripura by Kanchanjunga express on Monday.
They were reportedly going to Bangladesh via Kailashahar. The suspected Rohingyas were reportedly heading towards northern part of Kailashahar – closer to the Indo-Bangla border.
According local people, arresting the middleman will help Police in cracking the incident. Presence of suspected Rohingyas in Kailashahar on the eve of the Eid has sparked sensation among the local people. Meantime, security arrangements have been beefed up while interrogation of the detainees are going on.