Shillong, Oct 10: Meghalaya police in West Jaiñtia Hills District have arrested three Nigerian nationals from a village after they illegally crossed over from Bangladesh to India.

This is the second case of Nigerian nationals entering India illegally from Bangladesh, after the first case where a total of nine Nigerian nationals were arrested in East Jaiñtia Hills District last month.

West Jaiñtia Hills SP, Lakador Syiem said acting on a tip off, a team led by DSP, Donkupar Moksha conducted an operation and apprehended the three Nigerian nationals from Pdengshakap area, about 10 km from Amlarem.

A case was registered with Amlarem police station under the Foreigner’s Act. The SP said that all arrested persons have been forwarded to court with a request to grant police custody for further interrogation.

“Ever since the arrest of foreign nationals of African origin in East Jaiñtia Hills District, our officers and personnel were alerted especially the threat of infiltration from Bangladesh through the pourous international border,” Syiem said.

The arrested Nigerian nationals were identified as Chukwuma Celestine Okwuwa (34), Lucky Osas Enebi (36), and Ndubuisi Moses Chime (28).

The trio told police that they left Lagos, Nigeria on October 6, and reached Istanbul, Turkey on October 7, and on transit, they reached Dhaka on October 8.

The three Nigerian nationals were guided by one Bangladeshi national to one riverside from where they entered into India through a swampy area after they were not seen by a BSF personnel who are manning the Indo-Bangladesh border.

Syiem said that these foreigners carried with them only passport and Bangladesh Visa.

“They said that their purpose of coming was to explore garment exports in India. They were arrested after travelling about 45 minutes from the riverside,” he said.

Syiem further informed that four local people from Syndai Kmaishnong village were also arrested for assisting the foreign nationals to cross the border.

They have been identified as Ronaldo Syndai (21), Ni Pohleng (20), Kliar Mon Pohthmi (18) and Rihok Chyrmang (28).

According to him, the local persons who helped the foreigners have planned this activity with some Bangladeshi nationals to help them cross the border.

A black Chevrolet spark (ML05-G-4952) used for ferrying the Nigerian nationals was also seized.