Six Bangladeshi nationals arrested in Andaman and Nicobar

Port Blair, July 17 (UNI) Six Bangladeshi nationals have been arrested in Andaman and Nicobar islands during a security review, following the serial blast in Mumbai.

All of them had entered Andaman via Air Deccan flights from Kolkata.

''Initial investigation showed that all of them had entered the islands in search of job, but further investigations are on,'' Superintendent of Police Jaspal Singh told UNI in Port Blair.

Andaman and Nicobar police gathering more information about these six people. Criminal background is also being verified for a clear picture.

''We are taking no chances,'' Mr Singh said.

Security of the Andaman and Nicobar islands has been tightened in view of the serial bomb blast in Mumbai. Extra security personnel have been deployed at the airport and sea ports.

''In addition, a vigil is also been kept on people arriving from mainland India, every shady visitor is under our scanner,'' Mr Singh added.

The islands are a restricted area for foreigners and one has to get Restricted Area Permit from the authorities before landing in Andaman.

All these six Bangladeshi nationals were found without valid documents and according to police they are labourers who were brought by contractors for construction work in tsunami hit Islands.

''Last month also some Bangladeshi nationals were arrested in Andaman, but it seems there is no security threat from them. Our intelligence report also indicates this,'' Mr Singh added.

''Though the islands do not face direct threat from the terrorist outfits working against the country, the security in this remote Indian archipelago has been tightened as a precautionary measure,'' police said.

''We are working hard to regularly analyse the threat perception of these islands, which is considered as soft target,'' Mr Singh said.

Earlier on June 6, an Air Deccan flight from Port Blair had to make an emergency landing in Kolkata following a call that said a bomb had been placed on board.

It, however, turned out to be a hoax. Andaman and Nicobar is a chain of 572 small islands situated in Bay of Bengal, which were ravaged by tsunami waves in 2004 December. These islands are regularly invaded by poachers from South East Asian Country.

A Chinese base in Coco Island situated near Andaman is another long felt security threat, security experts believe.

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