Shillong, Oct 10: Meghalaya police have arrested five Nigerian nationals Рtwo in East Jai̱tia Hills district, and three in West Jai̱tia Hills district, taking the total to 22 foreign nationals arrested from the two districts of the state.

Police are yet to establish the main motive of these foreign nationals for entering India illegally after spending their days in Bangladesh.

Last month nine Nigerian nationals were arrested in East Jaiñtia Hills District after they cross over to India from Bangladesh.

East Jaiñtia Hills SP, Vivekanand Singh said that on October 9 at 11.15 pm, Ratacherra Check Post staff while conducting the routine anti-infiltration checking, detected two suspected Nigerian nationals who were travelling in a night super bus (ML05-M-1899) from Agartala to Guwahati.

Later they were detained for interrogation, after which were arrested. They have been identified as Victor Ojichukwu Ugo Okeke (30) and Ifechkwu Emmanuel (34) both from Anambra state in Nigeria.

As both could not produce valid document to support their entry into India, they were arrested and a case was registered at Lumshnong Police Station – Case No.48(10) 19 u/s 14/14 A/14 C of the Foreigners Act.

During preliminary investigation, the SP said that both the foreign nationals possessed only the photo copies of their passports and they claimed to have kept their original passport in Bangladesh.

They entered into India in Tripura after crossing the international boundary.

East Jaiñtia Hills Police have arrested 19 foreign nationals in last one month.

“We are keeping a strict watch round the clock to thwart any such attempts in future as well,” Singh said.

Three Nigerian nationals were also arrested from Pdengshakap area, about 10 km from Amlarem in West Jaiñtia Hills. They were identified as Chukwuma Celestine Okwuwa (34), Lucky Osas Enebi (36), and Ndubuisi Moses Chime (28).

A case was registered with Amlarem police station under the Foreigner’s Act.

West Jaiñtia Hills SP, Lakdor Syiem said that these three Nigerian nationals were guided by one Bangladeshi national to one riverside and from there they entered into India through a swampy area after they were not seen by BSF personnel who are manning the border.

Four local people from Syndai Kmaishnong village who assisted the foreign nationals to cross the border were also arrested. They were identified as Ronaldo Syndai (21), Ni Pohleng (20), Kliar Mon Pohthmi (18) and Rihok Chyrmang (28).

“We have also seized a black Chevrolet spark (ML05-G-4952) used by these local persons to ferry the Nigerian nationals,” Syiem said.

Police are interrogating these Nigerian nationals especially their objective of coming to India illegally and why they had first visited Bangladesh.