The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) has apprehended 79 escaped prisoners, including four foreign nationals, while they attempted to cross into India through different checkpoints along the India-Nepal border amid ongoing unrest in Nepal.
According to officials, the foreign nationals include two Nigerians, one Brazilian, and one Bangladeshi, all aged between 29 and 40. They were intercepted in Bihar.
The detainees were caught from checkpoints spread across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal, after failing to produce valid identity documents. All have been handed over to local police for further investigation.
The SSB also nabbed Anjila Khatoon, the first woman escapee caught so far, from West Bengal on September 11.
The arrests come as Nepal grapples with a severe law-and-order crisis following violent Gen-Z-led protests, which triggered mass jailbreaks across the country. Thousands of inmates fled correctional facilities in all 77 districts during the chaos, prompting the resignation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and the imposition of curfews by the Nepal Army.
In response, Indian security forces have heightened surveillance across the 1,751-km-long open border, deploying additional personnel, conducting strict identity checks, and intensifying intelligence operations to ensure that no fugitive misuses the visa-free movement between the two countries.
Officials warned that the number of arrests may rise as vigilance continues along vulnerable border stretches.
