Foreigners held by IRB personnel and volunteers of FREINDS
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 24, 2012:
While informing that seven Bangladesh nationals were apprehended by IRB personnel and volunteers of Federation of Regional Indigenous Society (FREINDS) from Wahengbam Leikai Jiri Parking last night, society's general secretary Joy Chingakham appealed to the people to contribute their mite in checking illegal migrants.
Speaking to newspersons at the Keishampat office of Freinds today, Joy said the foreign nationals were apprehended at 10.45 pm following specific information from its Jiri and Silchar units that the seven are on their way to Manipur.
Conveying that the seven have been taken into custody by the police, he further opined that contrary to official figure of about 7.4 non-local population the actual figure might have exceeded the 10 lakh mark for there had been ceaseless entry of migrant workers and foreign nationals into Manipur.
Joy also asserted that the seven Bangladeshis possessed identity cards provided by Zilla Parishad and Councillors of Assam State and had entered Manipur in a Tata Winger passenger carrier.
Maintaining that Freinds volunteers had been maintaining vigil since the last five years, he affirmed that non-locals may carry out business activities in Manipur but would not be allowed to settled on a permanent basis here.
The Freinds functionary also demanded that Government of Manipur establish check posts at Jiri, Moreh, Mao and Churachandpur to specifically check entry of illegal migrants.