Newmai News Network
AIZAWL | FEBRUARY 24
At least 330 foreigners, including 3 Bangladeshi nationals, have been arrested for illegally entering into Mizoram between January 2018 and January 2020, Mizoram Home minister Lalchamliana informed the state legislature on Monday.
Of the 330 foreigners, 274 were deported to their respective countries while the rest 56 were detained by the state government for legal proceedings, he also said.
Though he did not give country wise break-ups, the Home minister said the foreigners also included Rohingyas from Myanmar, Nepalese from Nepal and Bangladeshis.
He also said that two Bangladeshi nationals were arrested in Lunglei district and one other in Mamit district between 2018 and January 2020 and they were deported to their country.
Mizoram shares 510 km unfenced international border with Myanmar and 318 km with Bangladesh.
Between April and July last year, at least 20 Rohingya women and girls, suspected to be victims of human trafficking, were arrested by the state police in three separate locations in Mizoram.
The first such arrest was made on April 23, 2019 at Vairengte on the Mizoram-Assam border, when 8 Rohingya women attempted to enter the state without any valid travel documents.
The Rohingya women aged between 18-22 years told police that they were from Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh’s Sabulara and were abducted while going to market.
The state police also rescued another 8 Rohingya girls from Dungtlang village in Champhai district on the Mizoram-Myanmar border on June 17 last year.
On July 4 last year, two Rohingya women and two girls, aged 14 and 12 respectively, were arrested by the state police in Aizawl while being transported to Myanmar.
The state police also rescued 23 Nepali girls from Nepal, suspected to victims of human trafficking in April last year. They were later handed over to the Nepal government.
Replying to a query from opposition Zo People’s Movement legislature party leader Lalduhoma, the Home minister said that special task force committees — both at the district level and the sub-divisional level have been formed in three border districts- Lunglei, Mamit and Lawngtlai along the Indo-Bangladesh border to detect and deport illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.
He also said that the committees were set up in accordance with the Centre’s directive to detect and deport illegal immigrants from the state.
According to Lalchamliana, the task of detection and deportation of foreigners in other districts barring three districts bordering Bangladesh, was assigned to the state police.
He further said that the government has been making effort to ensure that any tourists, who came from abroad, do not stay in the state any longer than their visas.
