How Nepali "job-seekers" cross into India via Bihar to reach Qatar, UAE from Mumbai

In the past week, 10 Nepali nationals were arrested at Mumbai airport for trying to travel to Gulf countries using fake documents. Police say the group had entered India illegally by crossing the open Nepal-Bihar border and each of them had paid Rs 2.5 lakh to agents in Nepal for forged papers.

How did they enter India?

According to police, the group entered India through seven districts along the porous 601km Nepal-Bihar border—namely West Champaran, East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Supaul, Araria, and Kishanganj. Instead of using legal entry points, they chose hidden routes to avoid checks.

Where were they going?

On May 26, six men, Ramekbal Mahto Dhanuk (27), Mohammad Samim Alam (23), Raki Yadav (20), Mohammad Haroon Manihar (37), Mobin Musalman (32), and Jogindra Yadav (36), were caught while trying to board flights to Doha and the UAE. They said they were going for job opportunities.

Just three days later, four others, Jogindra Bishnu Das (24), Anish Kumar Sije Das (19), Sindhu Kumar Upendra Jha (22), and Jhagaru Ram Sobhait Das (38), were also caught. They claimed to be electrical assistants and labourers heading to the UAE.

What raised suspicion?

Immigration officer Ajay Mhatre noticed something odd in the documents of one passenger, Ramekbal Dhanuk. On checking further, they found the same issues with the other five travellers. Immigration officer Radha More later confirmed that the foreign employment permits shown by the four caught on May 29 were fake.

The Nepal embassy in Delhi said they hadn’t issued any NOC (No Objection Certificate) or work permit to these men, though they had submitted documents saying otherwise.

Who’s behind this?

Police are now tracking two suspected agents in Nepal, Shakir Yadav and Ahmed. They are believed to have arranged fake Indian passports and forged embassy permits. The authorities are also checking if these agents had helped other people in a similar way.

The investigation is ongoing to find out more about the network and how many people may have used this illegal route in the past.

Inputs from TOI