Around 36,000 Rohingyas are at present there in various parts of the country and the Border Security Force has upped its ante against illegal influx into India as their links with terror organisations cannot be ruled out, the force chief said today.

K K Sharma, the director general of the 2.5-lakh personnel-strong force, said his troops have apprehended 87 Rohingya Muslims along the Indo-Bangla border since the beginning of this year till October 31, and 76 'have been sent back to Bangladesh'.

"As far as my information goes, about 36,000 Rohingyas are there in this country at various places...This is one of those general observations and is based on inputs we received from our sister agencies (like the police and intelligence)," he told reporters during an interaction ahead of the BSF's52nd Raising Day on December 1.

He said the border guarding force has not come across any specific case where a Rohingya they caught possessed arms, ammunition or had terror connection.

"But, the threat that they have some links with terror organisations is a very serious one and has been given by our sister agencies and I don't doubt them," Sharma said.

He said the force has bolstered its manpower and surveillance equipments at 'vulnerable' posts along the Bangladesh border to check the illegal influx of Rohingyas from the neighbouring country into India.

The force sent back the Rohingyas and did not arrest them as they would have then become a 'liability', the DG said.

"Rohingya is a very complicated issue. As per the latestestimate, 9-10 lakh of them have migrated to Bangladesh (from Myanmar) and the possibility of a spill over coming to India cannot be ruled out.

"Our mandate is very clear that we do not allow any illegal immigration into India, whether he is a Rohingya or a Bangladeshi," Sharma said.  -- PTI

Photograph: Reuters