The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has sent alarm bells ringing over the presence of nearly 16,000 foreign nationals overstaying in India, with authorities particularly concerned about nationals from African countries.
The directive to trace and investigate these individuals comes amid suspicions of their involvement in drug trafficking and other criminal activities, raising serious questions about the scale of illegal operations being conducted under the cover of expired visas.
Overstaying Foreigners: Numbers and Concerns
According to the NCB, a significant portion of these overstaying foreigners are repeat offenders, residing illegally in India despite expired visas, and some are reportedly involved in organized criminal networks.
“The overstaying of such a large number of foreigners, particularly African nationals, raises critical questions. What were they doing here, and who were they associating with?” said a senior official.
The NCB has instructed all states and Union Territories (UTs) to identify these individuals and conduct thorough investigations under the new Foreigners Act, which regulates the entry, stay, and deportation of foreign nationals.
Authorities are expected to probe whether these overstayers were merely avoiding visa regulations or actively participating in drug smuggling, synthetic drug distribution, or other illegal activities across India.
Arrests and Nationalities
The NCB’s 2024 annual report highlights that of 660 foreigners arrested for alleged drug-related crimes:
- 203 were from Nepal
- 106 from Nigeria
- 25 from Myanmar
- 18 from Bangladesh
- 14 from Ivory Coast
- 13 from Ghana
Nearly 200 other nationalities remain unconfirmed, prompting further investigation. While the arrests reveal pockets of criminal activity, the fact that thousands remain untracked is a glaring concern.
African nationals, in particular, are now under heightened scrutiny, as intelligence agencies attempt to map potential networks facilitating synthetic drug distribution, human trafficking, or other illicit enterprises.
Surge in Synthetic Drugs and Organized Crime
India has witnessed a sixfold increase in synthetic drug seizures between 2019 and 2024. In 2024 alone, 11,994 kg of synthetic drugs were confiscated, including ATS, MDMA, mephedrone, and methaqualone.
Experts warn that such volumes suggest the involvement of well-structured criminal syndicates, possibly aided by overstaying foreigners who exploit visa loopholes and weak monitoring systems.
The maritime route has emerged as a critical supply chain for narcotics, with seizures totaling 10,564 kg in 2024, marking a 500-fold increase compared to 2019.
The western coast channels heroin, ATS, and hashish from the so-called “Death Crescent” (Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan), while the eastern coast sees synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine arriving from the “Death Triangle” (Myanmar, Laos, Thailand).
Moreover, the use of drones for cross-border smuggling, particularly along the Pakistan border in Punjab, has added a new dimension to the threat. Officials say these drones allow traffickers to bypass traditional checkpoints, making enforcement significantly more challenging.
African Nationals Under Scrutiny
Government sources confirm that African nationals are now at the centre of intelligence investigations, due to their disproportionate presence among overstayers with expired visas and suspected links to drug-related crimes.
“These individuals need to be traced, interrogated, and their networks dismantled. Simply deporting them without understanding their operations would be a missed opportunity,” said an NCB official.
Questions remain: How did thousands of foreign nationals, including Africans, manage to stay in India undetected for years?
Were they merely overstaying, or were they actively coordinating cross-border smuggling, synthetic drug distribution, or even money laundering? The government is keen on a complete mapping of their activities, tracing financial flows, and identifying accomplices within India.
Call for In-Depth Investigations
The NCB report urges coordinated action across immigration authorities, police departments, and anti-narcotics units.
The presence of such large numbers of overstaying foreigners, particularly African nationals, is not just an immigration issue — it represents a potential threat to India’s internal security, public health, and law-and-order system. Who knows, they could be spying also, said some sources
Investigators are expected to conduct detailed surveillance, interrogations, and intelligence gathering to ensure that criminal networks are exposed and dismantled.t is imperative to understand the modus operandi of these networks.
We are not dealing with mere overstayers; we are potentially dealing with well-organized criminal syndicates operating under the radar,” a senior intelligence source told this newspaper.
The NCB’s intensified scrutiny signals that India is now entering a critical phase in combating foreign-enabled narcotics operations, aiming to bring overstaying foreigners, especially those from Africa, to justice while protecting the country from sophisticated drug trafficking networks.
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