Eight Malaysians caught boarding flight

THEIR TRAVEL HISTORY SHOWED THAT ALL OF THEM HAD ARRIVED IN INDIA IN THE FIRST WEEK OF MARCH, ON DIFFERENT DATES, TO ATTEND THE CONGREGATION

nNEW DELHI: Eight Malaysian nationals were intercepted by immigration authorities and deboarded from a flight to Kuala Lumpur after they were identified as Tablighi Jamaat members, said officials.

A Malindo Air Flight from Delhi to Kuala Lumpur via Mumbai was to depart with 30 Malaysians as part of an evacuation exercise at around 12.30pm when the suspects were asked to deboard.

The eight men are Helmi Bin Zakaria, Mohammed Lukman Hakim Bin Hasim, Mohammed Zakri Bin Kamluddin, Mohammed Zaki Bin Abdul Malik, Mohammed Rafiq Bin Hussain,

Mohammed Syafiq Bin Nordin, Hariz Adam Bin Hussain and Mohammed Syurabil Ehsan.

“All of them are aged between 25 and 32 years. We had information about them and they were intercepted soon as they headed for immigration clearance. We had lookout notices against several foreigners who are believed to have attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation at its Nizamuddin headquarters in March in violation of their visa conditions. They were handed over to the Delhi police for further action,” said an airport officer, who requested anonymity.

Their travel history showed that all of them had arrived in India in the first week of March, on different dates, to attend the congregation, the officer added.

The ministry of health and family welfare was also alerted about the development. Deputy commissioner of police (IGI airport) said that the men were handed over to the crime branch.

A police officer who did not wish to be named, said these men underwent basic medical screening at the airport by the APHO (Airport Health Organization) staff. “Their detailed medical reports are awaited. They were taken away and will be kept under quarantine. They are yet to be questioned about where had they been hiding since the Nizamuddin Markaz gathering came to light. Their background is also under verification,” the officer said.

The government has already blacklisted over 900 such foreigners and invoked provisions of the Disaster Management Act and the Foreign Management Act against them. Over 2,000 people were evacuated from the Nizamuddin building last week. The health ministry has linked close to one-third of all Covid-19 infections in the country to Jaamat members and their contacts.