African origin people to lead crime syndicates in Hyderabad

B G Rajeswar

The number of Africans overstaying in Hyderabad are increasingly getting embroiled in criminal activities in the city in the recent past. Intelligence officials say the African crime syndicates will gradually take over criminal activities in the city in future.

The intelligence officials have submitted a report to the city police way back in 2003 stressing on the need for constant watch on the students coming from African countries.

he report also suggested that the African elements would gradually take over the crime apart from drug peddling. However, attention was not paid to the report.

According to latest figures available with the intelligence department, as many as 400 people out of around 4,000 African origin immigrants are overstaying in the city. Intelligence officials attribute this menace to the loopholes in the Indian immigration system.

Organised crime syndicates have been infiltrating drug peddlers and online fraudsters into India in the garb of students, sources said.

The drug peddlers and online fraudsters begin their criminal activities from day one and simply keep changing their place of dwelling after their visa expires making it difficult for the law enforcement agencies to track them down, sources said.

At least 70 Africans were arrested in the last couple of years by the city police. Of them, 40 were arrested for online frauds while 30 were arrested for drug pe

eddling. Most of the accused overstayed in Hyderabad but the officials appear to be not very serious about the growing menace.

Intelligence officials are worried over the fact that the Africans landing in jails would develop contacts with local criminals and enter new areas of crime on their release. The officials perceive them to be cruel and capable of unleashing terror. Also, they are physically stronger than any local criminal and easily overpower rivals.

The jail connections and outside links with high-profile people like film personalities and rich kids which they acquire while supplying drugs would enable them wield greater control over criminal activities, the officials said.

Though city police claimed time and again that African students living in Hyderabad would be kept under strict surveillance, no concrete measures had been taken to prevent Africans getting mixed up with local criminals, sources said.  

Intelligence sources told The News that Africans enter India through student visa for which no qualifying exam will be conducted. Since there is no need to take any qualifying exam and also due to lack of strict monitoring of their activities in India, anti-social elements have been taking advantage of the situation.