PATNA: Dattatreya Bakale, an active member of a Dubai-based gang involved in gold smuggling and cyber fraud, was arrested near the India–Nepal border at Raxaul in Bihar’s East Champaran district, officials said on Thursday.
Dattatreya, 31, a native of Bengaluru in Karnataka, was detained at the international immigration office at the Raxaul border late on Wednesday when he was attempting to enter Nepal from Indian territory. He had visited the immigration office to obtain a ‘no objection certificate’.
Officials on duty grew suspicious during verification of his passport and other documents. During investigation, it came to light that Dattatreya was wanted in Bengaluru in criminal cases related to availing loans from banks by submitting fake or low-quality gold ornaments.
“Dattatreya was trying to enter Nepal from where he was supposed to fly to Dubai to escape the Bengaluru police’s dragnet,” a police officer posted at Haraiya police station in East Champaran district said.
The district police immediately contacted their counterparts in Bengaluru and informed them about Dattatreya’s detention at Haraiya police station. Police sources said a Bengaluru police team reached the station on Thursday and interrogated him in custody.
“We have handed over the accused (Dattatreya) to the Bengaluru police team after completing legal formalities. Since he is not wanted in any case in Bihar, we handed him over to the Bengaluru police after completing the legal formalities,” said Kishan Kumar, station house officer of Haraiya police station.
He added that checks at the international immigration office and other sensitive locations have been intensified in view of the Republic Day celebrations. “We are keeping a close watch on people coming to India from Nepal and vice versa,” the SHO said.
Meanwhile, intelligence agencies have sounded an alert across the state, particularly along the porous India–Nepal border, ahead of Republic Day on January 26.