Despite heightened vigil along the India-Bangladesh border, security forces have arrested nine more Bangladeshi nationals in Tripura, an Indian newspaper said quoting a Border Security Force (BSF) spokesman.

The spokesman said that six Bangladeshi nationals including a woman and three transgenders were apprehended in a joint operation of BSF, Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) from Jirania Police station.

The Bangladeshi citizens after illegally entering Tripura were trying to board a train to go to other parts of the country via Guwahati. The infiltrators, aged 20 years to 54 years, are residents of different districts of Bangladesh. 

In another operation, the BSF apprehended three Bangladeshi nationals including two minors from Samrupara under the Unakoti district while they were trying to exfiltrate to their country (Bangladesh).

All three Bangladeshi nationals, who earlier came to Tripura illegally, are residents of Maulvibazar of Bangladesh. BSF has maintained a high level of alertness at the international border to prevent infiltration, the spokesman said. 

Over the last three and a half months, over 455 Bangladeshi nationals and over 60 Rohingyas have been arrested by security forces from the Agartala railway station and various other places in Tripura after they illegally entered India. 

After the Bangladesh unrest began in June-July, BSF enhanced surveillance along the 4,096-km border with the neighbouring country to prevent trans-border crime and infiltration, the BSF officials said.