'Coffee estates in Malnad region sheltering illegal migrants from Bangladesh'

 In the recent revelation, the information collected and reports submitted by the intelligence police to their higher authorities show that coffee estates in Malnad region are turning out to be the shelters for illegal migrants from Bangladesh.

According to reliable sources from the intelligence department, the illegal migrants from Bangla have made it a habit to take shelter in the coffee estates in Malnad in the disguise of ‘daily wage labourers.’ There are at least 60 such suspected migrants from Bangla working in the coffee estates of Koppa and N R Pura taluks.

They have been working here by introducing themselves as the villagers from Uttar Pradesh. While inspecting them, their identity cards have either been proved fake or they lack any identity cards. The department staff in their reports have asked their authorities to take up the issue seriously.

At a time when the coffee estate owners were in a deep trouble due to the unavailability of labourers to work in the plantations and demand for hike in wages, these migrants came as ‘oasis’. As the migrant labourers were ready to work in the plantations for low wages, the estate owners hired them without questioning their background.

A case in point is the estate near Magundi in N R Pura taluk belonging to a political party leader where 15 to 20 migrant labourers are working. These labourers have joined for work during last 20 days. Two teams of 30 people are working in two estates near Jayapura in Koppa taluk.

The sources say that a mediator from Bangalore origin who lives in Bangalore has involved in bringing these workers to the district and put them to work.

Demand for five sim!

This new revelation came to limelight, when a man bearing the address of Angad post in Assam state, had submitted applications to a mobile network shop in Magundi demanding for five BSNL SIM cards. But, the BSNL officers in Koppa while verifying the documents before issuing SIM cards, found that the identity card and address proof submitted by the man was fake, hence they rejected the application.

 Thereafter the man who had demanded for the SIM cards did not step into the shop. The intelligence officers went behind this case tracing for more information and it was then that the issue of illegal migrants in the district came to limelight.

If the local workers demand for the daily wage of Rs 170 to Rs 200, the migrants work for Rs 50 per day. In a  few places, they do not even demand for the wage, rather, they work for any given amount, which has led to suspicions. The intelligence sources say that the Police Department has to consider the issue seriously and take appropriate action.

Arrest by CCB?

Even as the Central Crime Branch arrested 11 youth in connection to terror links in Bangalore and Hubli, there were rumours that a youth from Koppa town too was detained by CCB under the suspicion of having terror links and was released after the inquiry.The CCB police are said to have come to Mudigere, Koppa and Chikmagalur city tracing the terror links based on the information shared by the arrested youth. However, Superintendent of Police Shashikumar said that he has no information about any youth having taken for inquiry from the district.