Thaindian News

Imphal, Aug 31 (IANS) Manipur Police Friday arrested six more illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and rounded up over 400 suspected immigrants for verifying their nationalities, police said.

With Friday’s arrest, the number of arrested illegal immigrants in Manipur has gone up to 49.

On Thursday, Manipur Police arrested 43 illegal immigrants - 19 Myanmerese and 24 Bangladeshi nationals - from Imphal and neighbouring Thoubal district.

“This morning we conducted a crackdown in several areas of Imphal and rounded up 462 people, of whom 57 were taken into police custody for questioning,” a police official said.

Earlier, Manipur Home Minister G. Gaikhangam said the crackdown to detect illegal Bangladeshi and Myanmarese nationals would continue in the state.

“Yesterday’s (Thursday) crackdown against illegal immigrants in Manipur was the beginning. Manipur Police will continue the operation to detect illegal immigrants,” Gaikhangam told IANS.

Cautioning locals not to shelter foreign nationals, the home minister said the government will take action against those who shelter illegal immigrants.

“It is a sensitive issue (illegal immigrants) and the government will not allow any illegal immigrant to settle in Manipur,” Gaikhangam said.

He said that all police stations, especially at the three entry points - Mao Gate (Manipur-Nagaland border), Jiribam (Manipur-Assam) and Moreh (India-Myanmar) - have been put on alert to detect illegal immigrants.

Manipur shares its border with Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west and Myanmar o the east.

Following pressure from civil society groups, the Manipur assembly July 13 adopted a resolution urging the central government to extend the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, to the state to check the influx of suspected Bangladeshi and Myanmarese nationals.