In their intensified drive against foreign nationals staying illegally in the country, officials from the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) police commissionerate rounded-up sixteen people including 14 Nigerian nationals for overstaying sans valid travel documents and expired visa in Nallasopara on Wednesday.
Acting on a tip-off about the presence of foreign nationals staying in the country without proper travel documents, a special team led by Senior Police Inspector Rajendra Kamble under the supervision of DCP (Zone III) Prashant Waghund launched a combing operation in the Pragati Nagar area of Nallasopara (east) and rounded up 16 suspects from KDM Apartments.
After the suspects failed to produce legitimate documents to authorize their stay in the country, they were taken into custody and booked under the relevant sections of the Indian Passport Act and Foreigners Act, at the Tulinj police station.
“16 people have been taken into custody for illegally staying in the country. However the owners and agents who provided accommodation to the foreign nationals sans any verification will also be taken to task. While investigations were on to check their antecedents, the drive will continue until we flush out illegal immigrants staying in our jurisdiction,” said Senior Police Inspector Rajendra Kamble.
Investigations revealed that 14 nationals were from various provinces in Nigeria and one each hailed from Uganda and Ivory Coast in West Africa. Meanwhile the accused have been remanded to police custody till Friday and the process was underway to initiate their deportation process which according to investigating officials was a harrowing task.
The MBVV police have requested the civic administration of Vasai-Virar to demolish the illegal and rickety buildings in the region which have become a safe haven for the illegal immigrants. Notably, once the visa expires, the stay automatically becomes illegal regardless of where you stay in the country.
