Shillong, July 31: Around 1,500 suspected illegal migrants were detected by the Khasi Students Union (KSU) on Tuesday on national highways after the Union set up its own check points in three locations bordering Assam.

The KSU set up check points at Ratacherra in East Jaiñtia Hills district, Athiabari in West Khasi Hills district and 20th Miles near Byrnihat in Ri-Bhoi district to prevent movement of suspected illegal migrants from Assam, after the publication of National Register of Citizens in Assam on Monday.

The final draft NRC published on Monday showed that out of 3,29,91,384 persons in Assam who had applied for Indian citizenship, only 2,89,83,677 were found eligible, while the names of 40,00,707 applicants have not included.

KSU President Lambokstarwell Marngar said that the Union has set up the check points in three districts bordering Assam as part of the measures to check illegal migration since infiltration check gates set up by the Meghalaya police “were not action and did not function properly” especially after the NRC was published in Assam.

“We also want to pressurize the Meghalaya government to take steps to put in place strong mechanisms to check influx in the state, and speed up the setting up of entry and exit points in various parts of the state,” the KSU leader said.

Marngar said that at Ratacherra alone, KSU members detected over 1000 persons who were ferried in not less than 30 trucks.

He said that all of them did not possess any documents and they were all planning to move to Meghalaya.

At 20th Miles in Ri-Bhoi district, KSU members erected a check point and detected nearly 500 persons and all of them were sent back to Assam.

The KSU’s check point at Athiabari also detected hundreds of suspected migrants.

From all the three check points, the KSU said that its members managed to detect around 1,500 persons.

Marngar informed that the checking at Ratacherra continued till 4 pm, but the SP of East Jaiñtia Hills has agreed to hold a meeting to discuss influx issue along with KSU members and district officials on Wednesday.

In Ri-Bhoi district also, KSU members had a discussion with some police officials who assured that police manning the infiltration check point at Byrnihat would do intensive checking.