Bhubaneswar, August 8: Police have started a 24x7 vigil on seaways to Odisha and high alert has been issued to all 18 marine police stations to check possible influx of immigrants from trouble-torn Bangladesh, said DGP Arun Kumar Sarangi on Thursday.
“High alert has been issued to three most vulnerable coastal districts – Balasore, Bhadrak and Kendrapara. Besides, Puri has been kept on high alert with enhanced security measures at Srimandir,” said the DGP.
Security measures have been enhanced along the coastline in Jagatsinghpur, Puri and Ganjam districts and the SPs of the vulnerable districts are directed to put extra manpower near the coast to curb any infiltration attempt through the sea route, he added.
Roads connecting the neighbouring West Bengal are also being monitored. Over 10 fast interceptor boats have been deployed to patrol the coastline. Local fishermen have also been asked to remain vigilant and inform the police if they notice movement of any suspicious boat along the coast.
The coastal districts nearer to Bangladesh, particularly Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Balasore and Bhadrak, have been vulnerable to infiltration as the immigrants used to take small boats or fishing trawlers to sail to Odisha and sneak into the districts. Lakhs of illegal Bangladesi immigrants have already settled in the districts during last five four decades.
