A 41-year-old Nigerian national, Francis Odoko, has been arrested by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) while attempting to illegally cross into Bangladesh through the Belonia railway station in Tripura.
The arrest took place around 8:30 PM on Friday, April 11, 2025, when personnel from the 43rd Battalion of Belonia BOP apprehended Odoko. According to the police, he was intercepted before he could make his way across the international border.
During a preliminary search, security forces recovered four mobile phones in his possession—three Android smartphones and one basic keypad phone—raising suspicions about his activities in the area.
Odoko was initially taken to the BSF camp for interrogation before being transferred to Belonia Police Station. Authorities later handed him over to the Government Railway Police (GRP), which has jurisdiction over the location where he was arrested. A formal case has been registered against him under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Passport Act. He was produced in Belonia Court the following day.
According to Mrinal Kanti Bhowmik, Officer-in-Charge at GRP Police Station, Odoko revealed that he first arrived in India in 2019. In 2021, he was arrested by Chandigarh Police in connection with a cybercrime case and served a three-year sentence. He was released from jail in November 2024.
Since his release, Odoko had reportedly been staying in various Indian cities, including Delhi. Authorities believe he may have been trying to use Bangladesh as a route to return to Nigeria. A Nigerian acquaintance of his confirmed that he had recently traveled from Delhi to Agartala before arriving in Belonia by train.
Given his prior criminal record and the sensitive nature of the border zone, local law enforcement is now investigating whether Odoko resumed cybercrime operations after his release and if he had any local accomplices.
The case has been forwarded to judicial authorities, and investigations are ongoing.
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