The 41st battalion of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), posted at the India-Nepal border, apprehended two Thai nationals, both women, at the new bridge in Panitanki near the border check post on Thursday while they were trying to exit India using documents bearing counterfeit and fraudulent immigration stamps.
The incident has revealed the presence of a racket that provides such fake stamps.
A source said the team intercepted a car carrying two foreign women. In accordance with standard protocols, the on-duty personnel directed the passengers to complete their exit formalities and hand over their passports to the official concerned for verification.
While the driver moved the vehicle ahead for luggage checking, an unidentified person accompanied the women to the counter. As the commander posted at the counter expressed suspicion over the exit stamps, the person abandoned both women, boarded the vehicle and fled the spot.
“The shift commander alerted the company commander, who informed the immigration authorities. Subsequently, it was found that no foreign traveler had reported to the office and no official exit stamps were issued to them. This proved that they were using fake stamps,” said a source.
The women have been identified as Pimchanok Ketla and Chintara Buddaphong.
A source said Pimchanok had entered India on July 20 last year. She traveled to Delhi, Gurgaon and Madurai, and on May 28 this year, she flew from Delhi to Bagdogra. There, she was picked up by members of a racket that provided the counterfeit immigration seal
Chintara has visited India multiple times. She entered the country via Delhi on July 30 last year.
Her visa expired on January 16 this year. On May 28, she traveled from Ahmedabad to Delhi and flew to Bagdogra to meet the same syndicate to obtain fake exit stamps for her documents.
SSB handed the duo over to the Kharibari police station of the Darjeeling district.
The police and SSB are searching for their companion who escaped with the vehicle.