The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) detained eight individuals, including five members of a family and three suspected traffickers, for attempting to cross the border illegally at Chapra village near the Achintapur border in Birampur upazila, Dinajpur, yesterday evening.

The detainees were handed over to Birampur police station and later presented before the Dinajpur court today after being arrested in a case filed by the BGB.

According to BGB sources, the detentions followed a raid conducted by a patrol team from the Achintapur Border Outpost (BOP), based on information about a group preparing to cross the border illegally near sub-pillar 294/3, located within 100 yards inside Bangladeshi territory.

The operation, conducted yesterday with the help of local villagers, resulted in the detention of Mongla Debnath, 55, from Bogura's Sabgram area, along with his three sons—Ganesh Debnath, 35, Sohag Debnath, 31, and Buda Debnath, 29—and Buda's son, Bikash Debnath, 16. In addition, Kamruzzaman Hitler, 35, from Akra village in Biral upazila, and Mamunur Rahman, 35, from Chapra village, both identified as border-crossing facilitators, were also apprehended, said Birampur Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Momtazul Haque.

During the operation, Soibur Rahman, 32, the third trafficker, from Chapra village, attempted to flee into India but was eventually detained by the BGB with assistance from the Indian Border Security Force (BSF), the OC added.

The detained individuals admitted to having worked as labourers in India for an extended period and having recently returned to Bangladesh.

BGB officials recovered five mobile phones, 16 SIM cards (both Bangladeshi and Indian), four Bangladeshi national identity cards, one Indian Aadhaar card, and one Indian PAN card from the detainees.

OC Momtazul confirmed that a case had been filed against the group.