India’s paramilitary force, Sashastra Seema Bal, has arrested two Nigerians who escaped from a prison in Nepal during the recent anti-government protest.
Press Trust of India on Monday reported that the two suspects were apprehended on Saturday at Jainagar in Bihar State while attempting to cross into the Asian country.
The Nigerians were said to be among several foreign nationals and locals who fled detention facilities in Nepal after violent demonstrations rocked the Himalayan nation in recent weeks.
Quoting a security source, the news agency stated, “These people have been caught from the border over the last three to four days after they escaped from various jails following the massive anti-government protests in Nepal.”
The SSB further disclosed that more than 79 escapees, including other foreign nationals, have so far been arrested across different Indian states bordering Nepal.
Officials noted that the heightened security operation was necessary as the India-Nepal border, spanning 1,751 kilometres across 20 districts in five states, remains largely unfenced.
The arrest of the two Nigerians has once again thrown a spotlight on the recurring involvement of Nigerian nationals in transnational crimes across Asia, a development that has drawn concern from the authorities in recent years.
Recall that in August, the Indian police in Kozhikode City arrested eight Nigerians for alleged drugs trafficking.
A report by The Hindu said the eight suspects allegedly played “key roles” in a bigger drug syndicate alleged to be operating across India.
Kozhikode police in collaboration with a state-level squad, uncovered a synthetic drug production unit in Gurugram, Haryana, with the help of police teams from Delhi and Haryana.
