Over 800 illegal immigrants denied entry at Manipur border since January

Three persons were stopped while trying to enter Manipur via Jiribam district on Thursday, a senior police officer said, adding that 800 suspected foreigners have been stopped in their bid to enter the state, from this district alone, since January this year.

Ten persons were trying to enter Manipur but three of them had no identification papers and were not allowed to enter, said K. Ajitkumar, Additional Superintendent of Police, Jiribam.

He said: "Police are checking those who try to enter Manipur through this border district."

Home Minister N. Biren Singh told IANS that with the deployment of additional forces, security has been beefed up at Jiribam and Moreh, two border towns. Police are looking for Rohingya Muslims.

Police is also conducting a house-to-house verification of persons in Moreh being supervised by S. Ibomcha, Superintendent of Police of Tengnoupal district, bordering Myanmar.

There is fear that Rohingya Muslims may try to sneak into Manipur through Moreh from Myanmar or from Bangladesh through Jiribam, though "so far no Rohingya Muslim has been detected at Moreh", said Ibomcha.

While the government is being urged to check the possible influx of Rohingya Muslims, some Muslim organisations in Manipur took out processions demanding refugee status for the Rohingyas.

--IANS

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