NONGPOH:
The Ri Bhoi Youth Federation (RBYF) apprehended 14 non-tribals on late Monday night at Umbang village in Ri Bhoi district.
Known for being vigilant towards infiltration, the organisation in the past has apprehended several non-tribals.
Some of the members of the RBYF saw a pickup vehicle carrying men at the Entry and Exit Checkpoint which looked suspicious so they followed the vehicle and tracked it down at Umbang village.
The RBYF asked for their documents, however, the men looked confused and their responses were unclear.
On further investigation, the driver claimed that they were going to Shillong, while the person who brought the men said that they were heading to Silchar. The men told the RBYF members that they were from Bihar and West Bengal but when the organisation examined their documents it was found that they were all from neighbouring Assam.
The RBYF handed them over to the Police at the Infiltration Check Gate to take appropriate action.
The RBYF expressed shock at how these non-tribals managed to enter the state without proper documents, including labour license, despite the 24-hour checking of non-tribals by the Police at Infiltration Check Gate, Byrnihat.
The police said that the men were allowed to enter the state because they were going to Silchar.
The organisation urged the police to strengthen the checking process to prevent the entry of non-tribals without proper documentation.