Agartala: Tripura police, with assistance from local villagers, on Thursday detained five Bangladeshi nationals from the Pathariyadar border area under Madhupur Police Station in Sepahijala district of Tripura.
Among the detainees were two women and three men who were later brought to Madhupur Police Station for questioning.
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During preliminary interrogation, the individuals admitted to crossing the border with the intention of reaching Delhi for work.
They revealed that a group of Bangladeshi human traffickers had assisted them and brought them to the Indian side through a culvert under a barbed-wire fence near Pathariyadar.
According to the detainees, the traffickers took 15,000 Bangladeshi Taka and a mobile phone from them before fleeing.
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The traffickers instructed them to cross to the Indian side through the culvert.
The group reportedly evaded the BSF and entered Indian territory, roaming around throughout the night.
On Thursday morning, local villagers noticed them wandering suspiciously in the area. The locals alerted the police, who then detained them.
Initial investigations revealed that all five individuals belong to the same family from Kurigram district in Rangpur Division, Bangladesh.
The police identified the detainees as Monir Khan, his wife Saheba Khatun, their sons Shahjalal Khan and Swadhin Khan, and daughter-in-law Dulali Khatun.
Preliminary findings suggest the involvement of Bangladeshi trafficking networks, and sources indicate that some local agents from the Indian side may also participate in the operation.
Reports suggest that a few youths from the Adarsh Colony area may have aided the illegal entry. Police have already begun investigating these leads.
The Officer-in-Charge of Madhupur Police Station said that while officers have gathered some information from the detained individuals, they require more interrogation to understand the motive behind their movement towards India.
Efforts are underway to identify and apprehend any Indian nationals involved in facilitating their entry.
Sources said that they planned to go to Delhi in search of work.