Overstaying foreigners under police scanner

With dozens of Nigerian nationals allegedly getting involved in criminal offences in recent years, law-enforcing agencies plan to conduct a scrutiny of foreign nationals, particularly Nigerians, who are overstaying their visa in this part of the country.

According to police sources, a large number of Nigerians who came to India on student or business visas continued to stay on for years in different parts of the country, particularly New Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore. Though many were engaged in education or business-related activities, some persons habitually indulged in criminal offences such as online fraud and drug peddling.

Since January this year, at least six cases were reported in Tamil Nadu where Nigerian nationals were detained in connection with various offences.

Investigation revealed that they overstayed their visa and resorted to crimes for a living. In a recent case, Solano Reyes Jimmy Vincent, an Ecuador national, was detained by airport authorities in Cochin International Airport after he was found to be in possession of a suspicious substance.

Investigation revealed that the yellowish fluid he had concealed in several condoms was snake venom. His associate Austin Odiase, a Nigerian national who had accompanied him till the airport check-in area, vanished from the airport and took a train to Chennai. He was apprehended by the Railway Police based on a tip-off given by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

“Steps have been taken to create a database of foreign nationals who are overstaying their visa period in Tamil Nadu. We are working with the immigration authorities and Intelligence Bureau in this regard…this is no doubt a matter of serious concern,” a senior police official said on Monday.

NCB's South Zonal Director S. Davidson Devasirvatham said the issue of Nigerian nationals taking to drug peddling was discussed in high-level meetings on various occasions.

“We have information that many of them are spread across the western districts, particularly Tirupur and Namakkal areas. In a recent case, we arrested a Nigerian national in Erode soon after he booked two courier consignments containing heroin to Australia and Holland. Search on his premises revealed the presence of three more Nigerians who were overstaying their visa,” he said.

An official in the Chennai Police said information on foreign nationals who were overstaying their visa period was being collected from the Chief Immigration Officer. The police will conduct random checks in vulnerable areas.