Reiterating that several foreign nationals, especially Nigerians, continue to indulge in illegal drug peddling in the State, Home Minister G. Parameshwara said the Police Department would study how the Goa government deports those overstaying after expiry of visa.
Replying to BJP member V. Somanna in the Legislative Council, the Minister said the Goa government was withdrawing criminal cases against overstaying foreign nationals and deporting them. “We will study the feasibility of this process and emulate it here. The Ministry of External Affairs (MoEA) has to intervene in this,” he said.
The Minister said many come to Bengaluru on student visas. “After the expiry of their visas, they deliberately commit a petty crime for which bail is easy to obtain. The police cannot deport them till the cases are cleared. This allows them to stay and carry out illegal businesses here,” he said. “Thirty-one Nigerians involved in drug mafia have been arrested from 2015 till February this year, and 23 cases have been filed.However, establishing their identity has become a problem.” Recently, a Nigerian who was found selling ganja, died when he was being chased by the police. We do not know whether he was high on drugs or was drunk. His identification has also not been carried out as none has come forward to claim the body,” he said. About 48 police stations have been identified and sensitised about such crimes, he added.
