New Delhi, Oct 13 : Stepping up its operation and crackdown on illegal immigrants, the Delhi Police on Monday apprehended six African nationals staying illegally in the city.

The foreign nationals apparently exceeded their permit and overstayed in the national capital, leading to action and the subsequent initiation of deportation proceedings.

The foreign nationals were nabbed by the Nihal Vihar unit of Delhi Police in routine patrolling during the weekend.

During patrolling, the police team received a tip-off about foreign nationals illegally residing in a house in Chander Vihar. Acting swiftly on the intel inputs, the team reached the designated spot, where six foreign nationals were residing. On sensing the police presence, they tried to escape in a bid to evade their arrest. Displaying alertness and prompt action, the team chased down and successfully apprehended all of them on the spot.

The six African nationals were identified as Frank Fotching, Romeo Lucien, Malk Faraday, Samunel, Evans Danso, and Innousa.

During interrogation, they were asked to produce travel documents, including their passports and visas, which they failed to provide. Upon further questioning, the individuals admitted that their visas had expired.

Verification confirmed that all six had overstayed their visas and were residing in Delhi in violation of immigration regulations. They failed to provide any valid justification for their unauthorised stay.

A case under Section 14(c) of the Foreigners Act was registered at Nihal Vihar police station against the house owner for illegally harbouring the foreign national, and legal deportation proceedings were initiated in accordance with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO).

At present, all six individuals are lodged at the Detention Centre, Sewa Sadan, Lampur, Narela (Delhi), for further deportation proceedings.

Similar drives by dedicated police teams are being conducted across the national capital to conduct field verification, gather actionable intelligence, and implement preventive measures to identify, detain, and deport such individuals who are staying without valid documentation.

/IANS