Rajnagar: In a bid to prevent the influx of Bangladeshi foreign nationals and curb criminal activities along the Odisha coast, the Talachua Marine Police carried out coastal surveillance using drones in the Talachua sea on Sunday.
Inspector-In-Charge (IIC) of Talachua Marine Police Station, Bimal Kumar Mallick, said the surveillance was conducted following the detention of a youth suspected to be a Bangladeshi infiltrator.
The youth, who was apprehended by locals near the Gupti ferry ghat Saturday, was found in possession of a firearm.
According to locals, the suspect spoke in a dialect distinctly different from that of the local Bengali-speaking population, raising suspicion about his Bangladeshi origin.
Also Read: Suspected Bangladeshi infiltrator with firearms detained in Odisha
The IIC further informed that the drone footage would be examined to ascertain whether trawlers at the jetties were carrying passengers beyond capacity or if any unlawful activities were taking place along the coast.
As per district administration reports, Bangladeshi infiltrators often enter Kendrapara through sea routes, particularly between May and September, to engage in the lucrative prawn trade near coastal areas.
Most of them are believed to come from Jhore, Khulna, Barisal, and Faridpur districts of Bangladesh.
PNN
