Imphal: In an intensified crackdown on undocumented entries, Manipur Police have detained 304 individuals found without valid Inner Line Permits (ILPs) during a state-wide verification drive aimed at detecting illegal migrants, including suspected infiltrators from Myanmar and Bangladesh.
A senior police official confirmed that between late July and the first week of August, authorities verified the documents of 2,412 individuals across several regions.
Among them, 170 persons were found without any ILP, while 134 were carrying expired documents.
All defaulters were taken to the Mao Gate ILP counter in Senapati district, where they were made to obtain valid permits.
No confirmed cases of illegal immigration have been detected so far, the official noted.
The search operation, led by the Senapati District Police Task Force, covered market areas, major routes including National Highway-2, the Maram-Peren and Tadubi-Tolloi roads, as well as inter-village roads under all police station jurisdictions.
Surveillance is ongoing at key border entry points, with police officials indicating that the special drive will continue in the coming weeks.
The ILP system, enforced under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation of 1873, functions as a travel document for Indian citizens who are not native to certain northeastern states.
It restricts entry to protect the cultural and demographic identity of indigenous communities.
Currently, ILPs are mandatory for entry into Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Manipur.
While Manipur does not directly share a border with Bangladesh, officials are concerned about possible infiltration via neighbouring Assam and Mizoram, both of which have porous borders with the country.
Manipur itself shares a 400-km-long unfenced border with Myanmar, making it susceptible to undocumented cross-border movement.
In response to growing concerns over illegal immigration, Manipur Police last month rolled out a more structured approach.
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Updated instructions for identifying, restricting, and deporting undocumented foreigners have been distributed to all 16 district police heads.
The new framework includes a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) that standardises verification processes for suspected Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Rohingya migrants.
To enhance enforcement, Special Task Forces (STFs) have been constituted across all districts, tasked with identifying and taking legal action against those residing in the state without valid documentation.
Senior officials continue to monitor and assess the progress of these efforts, with regular reviews being held to ensure consistency and effectiveness in the operation.
Meanwhile, neighbouring Meghalaya continues to see intermittent agitations demanding the implementation of the ILP system, underscoring the broader regional concern around demographic shifts and indigenous rights.
