PATNA: Five foreign nationals, including four from Sudan and one from Bolivia, were arrested near the India-Nepal border in Bihar’s East Champaran district, officials confirmed on Sunday.
The individuals were intercepted near Raxaul bus stand under Raxaul police limits late on Saturday night. They had reportedly entered Indian territory from Nepal without valid documents.
A joint team of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and district police apprehended the group shortly after they crossed the porous international border near Agarwa village, close to Ghorasahan. Authorities said they deliberately used a rural road to evade detection at the main border checkpoint in Raxaul.
Acting on a tip-off, the joint team detained the foreigners, who are believed to be between 30 and 40 years of age. They have been identified as Abdul Fitah (44), Rama Siddiqui (38), Ali Abdul Gaffar (27), and Ahmad Daffala (37) all citizens of Sudan, and Miguel Solani Chaveza (32) from Bolivia.
Swarna Prabhat, Superintendent of Police (SP), East Champaran, confirmed the arrests, stating that the individuals failed to produce valid visas or any other required documents. “They are being questioned to determine the motive behind their illegal entry into Indian territory,” he told the media.
Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Sikrahana, Uday Shankar, said the group was intercepted as they were about to board a bus from Raxaul bus stand. “Further investigation is underway, and we have informed the intelligence agencies,” he said.
During interrogation, it was revealed that someone had booked bus tickets for the group from Raxaul to Motihari. Authorities are currently working to identify this individual.
The Sudanese nationals claimed they were enrolled in a college in Hyderabad, but were unable to provide a satisfactory explanation for why they entered India via Nepal without proper documentation. Officials also recovered several suspicious items from their possession, including documents, notes, and books written in Urdu.
This incident follows recent unrest in Nepal, where large-scale Gen Z protests resulted in several casualties and widespread damage to public property.
Earlier this year, 11 other foreign nationals, including four Chinese citizens and one reportedly linked to the Khalistani movement, were also arrested near the Raxaul border for attempting to enter India from Nepal without valid travel documents.