Guwahati police arrest four for allegedly helping Bangladeshi nationals enter city, providing shelter

The Border Branch of the Guwahati Police Commissionerate has arrested four people, including two cab drivers and two hotel managers, for allegedly facilitating the movement of Bangladeshi nationals from the Meghalaya border to Guwahati and providing them accommodation at a hotel in the city.

According to reports on Saturday, the arrested cab drivers have been identified as Karan Sonowal and Bipul Chetia. Police said the two allegedly transported Bangladeshi nationals from the Meghalaya border to Guwahati in exchange for money.

The other two arrested have been identified as Sanjib Hazarika and Lachit Gogoi, who worked as managers at Hotel Meghalaya in Khanapara. They allegedly provided accommodation to the Bangladeshi nationals at the hotel in return for money.

The arrests follow a police operation on October 18, during which 13 Bangladeshi nationals were detained. Subsequent questioning reportedly helped investigators uncover the network involved in transporting and sheltering foreign nationals in Guwahati.

Police investigations have indicated that some individuals were willing to provide accommodation to Bangladeshi nationals for monetary gains.

The latest arrests come amid a series of police operations targeting alleged networks facilitating the movement of Bangladeshi nationals through Guwahati. In previous cases, police found that several individuals had allegedly entered India through the Dawki route in Meghalaya with the assistance of touts before travelling to Guwahati.

In a separate operation in early October, police arrested a hotel owner, two managers and another alleged facilitator after apprehending 18 Bangladeshi nationals in two separate operations. The detentions were made at the Guwahati railway station and a hotel.

The specific legal provisions under which the four arrested persons have been booked were not immediately available.