2 Ivory Coast nationals held from Indo-Nepal border with fake visas

Two foreign nationals were arrested from the Indo-Nepal border with forged Visas. They were produced at the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Siliguri on Thursday and remanded to five days of police custody. They claim to be footballers playing for different clubs in the Terai and Dooars area of the Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts of North Bengal.

"23-year-old Moustapha Tanou and 19-year-old Ibrahim Fassasi were arrested from the immigration counter of Panitanki on the Indo-Nepal border on Wednesday while trying to cross over to Nepal. They claim to be citizens of Ivory Coast in West Africa. We have taken them in our custody. Investigations are on," stated Amit P Javalgi, Superintendent of Police, Darjeeling. The two had arrived at the immigration counter at Panitanki on Wednesday. Both their Visas had expired.

While Moustapha's Visa had expired on March 2, 2016, Fassasi's Visa had expired on July 2, 2016. They were, however, carrying documents for the extension of their Visas till July 7, 2017 signed by the Joint Secretary of the Foreigners and NRI (Home) department, Kolkata. This aroused suspicion of Mingma Lapcha, the OC of the Integrated Check Post. On closer scrutiny, he realised that the signature of the Joint Secretary was false. They were then arrested. The two claimed that they were footballers and used to play for different clubs in Terai and Dooars.