9 foreigners detained in Bharuch

VADODARA: Bharuch police on Tuesday detained nine foreign nationals, including 8 from Saudi Arabia and a Sudanese, involved in preaching the tenets of Islam in violation of the terms of the tourist visas issued to them.
The district police has issued a notice to the persons asking them to leave the country and passed an order restricting their movements.They were taken to the foreigners'' branch of the district police where the formalities for their deportation were completed.
According to officials, these persons were moving in different parts of Bharuch and holding meetings for propagating their philosophy. They reportedly belong to the hardline organisation, Tabliq-e-Jamaat.
Those detained include Al Sobhi Ali Alia, Mohammed Al Gahamadi, Abdul Rehman Al Toibi, Hasem Al Harbi, Mohammed Jubran, Abdul Aziz Al Hadrami, Al Vahtani Mohammed Mubarak and Alaufi Ahmed Salim from Saudi Arabia. Omar Ramadan Ali Zakaria from Sudan was also detained.
Officials said that the persons were on a tourist visa to visit the country. "As tourists, they are not allowed to conduct such religious activity in India. It is a violation of immigration rules," said district superintendent of police Amarsinh Vasava. The persons had visas valid up to September, October and November.
Sources said that the persons had entered India between May 14 and May 19. An official release said that they had started working in the Bharuch district since May 22. Vasava said that they had visited areas like Palej, Amod and Jambusar where the minority population is high.
"However, we have no reports of their involving themselves in any instigation or suspicious activities. The material found with them largely comprises of religious books. No pamphlets or other such material meant for distribution was recovered," Vasava said.
Sources said that a person from Pune was also caught with the foreigners. "He used to work as an interpreter as they did not know the local language," a source said.
The foreign nationals will remain with the Bharuch police till Friday. "We are continuing with the interrogation. On Friday they will be taken to Delhi. The persons will be presented at the immigration department of the union home ministry on Saturday when they are likely to be black-listed as persons who should not be given visas again. They may not be able to visit India again," Vasava said.
All the nine persons are likely to be sent out of the country on Sunday. Vasava said that a team of Bharuch police would accompany the persons till they leave the country.