Acting on a tip-off the Siliguri Metropolitan Police arrested eight persons, including five Bangladeshi women, from an area under the New Jalpaiguri Police station last night.

Additional Deputy Police Commissioner Subhendra Kumar said the police have registered a case under Section 14 Foreigners Act as the five women did not have any valid documents to stay in India.

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“We have also arrested three persons in this connection. We suspect two of them might be from Bangladesh. We are verifying the Aadhaar Card of them,” Kumar said, adding, “We are investigating the case to draw a conclusion whether it is a case of trafficking.”

“After completion of investigation we will register specific cases against them including three persons,” he added.

All eight persons were produced before the Court in Jalpaiguri on Monday.

Sources said all five Bangladeshi women crossed the border from Bangladesh to India illegally a few days ago with the help of touts and took shelter here with the help of three persons.

Notably, infiltration and exfiltration continues unabated along Indo Bangladesh border through unfenced areas especially via Bangladeshi enclaves Dahagram and Angarpota near Teen Bigha Corridor in Cooch Beher, sources said. Many of them are coming from Bangladesh to India for their livelihood.