NEW DELHI: Eighteen Malaysian nationals, who were part of the Tablighi Jamaat at Nizamuddin Basti in Delhi last month, were detained at airports in Delhi and Chennai on Sunday while trying to flee the country on special flights for stranded Malaysian travellers.
While eight of them were detained at IGI airport in Delhi, 10 Malaysian Tamils were offloaded from another special chartered flight with 167 Malaysian Tamils onboard.
After participating in the meeting, the Malaysian Tamils had visited Tenkasi district in southern Tamil Nadu and had stayed there before coming here to board the flight.
It is, however, not immediately known if the Jamaat participants will be quarantined by health authorities or not.
In Delhi, the eight Malaysians were intercepted by immigration officials and later handed over to the Delhi Police Crime Branch. According to police sources, all eight have been sent to the quarantine facility.
So far, more than 400 COVID-19 positive cases and about 15 deaths in the country were found to
have links with the Nizamuddin Markaz.
Action against the foreign Tablighi Jamaat members were taken after over 2,300 activists, including 250 foreigners, were found to be living at its headquarters located at Delhi’s Nizamuddin last week despite the 21-day lockdown imposed to check the spread of coronavirus.
At least 9,000 people had participated at the congregation at the Nizamuddin Markaz last month after which many have travelled to various parts of the country for missionary works.
The participants include citizens of 41 nationalities. They are 379 Indonesians, 110 Bangladeshi, 77 Kyrgyzstan, 75 Malaysian, 65 Thai, 63 Myanmarese and 33 Sri Lankan citizens besides others.
10 Filipinos, including 3 COVID-19 patients, booked
Ten Philippines nationals have been booked for residing in Navi Mumbai without informing authorities, police said on Sunday.
The group attended the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi last month and then come to Navi Mumbai, an official said, and three of them had tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
“They were staying in Nurul Islam Trust premises in Vashi between March 10-16 without informing police. They have been booked under Epidemic Diseases Act and Foreigners Act,” said a police officer.