NIA starts interrogating arrested Bangladeshi youths

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has started interrogating the 24 Bangladeshi youths, who were arrested yesterday with no valid travel documents, to find out the possibility of any terror links, a police official said.

A two-member NIA team from Guwahati arrived here this afternoon and began interrogating the 24 youths. The team comprises an SP-level officer and inspector, a senior police official said on the condition of anonymity.

During interrogation, the youths said they had illegally entered into the Indian territory from the Petrapole-Benapole border in West Bengal at different times over the past one year, the official said.

"NIA officials are interrogating them at a secret location. They are likely to be questioned for a few more days. They also claimed to be madrasa students. There might be involvement of some big international terror groups," the official added.

Acting on a tip-off, the mobile task force (MTF) -- a section of the Tripura police that deals with illegal immigration and related cases -- raided Agartala railway station yesterday and arrested the 24 Bangladeshis, who reached here on the weekly Tripura Sundari Express that originates from the Anand Vihar terminal in Delhi.

Fake Aadhaar cards, outdated Bangladeshi passports, identity cards issued by different madrasas, mobile phones, and cash were allegedly recovered from their possession, a senior police official had said.

The court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate here has remanded them to 7-day police custody.