Uttarakhand cops nab Israeli man living in India without visa for 7 years

A 44-year-old Israeli man who was arrested in Uttarakhand’s Banbasa town of Champawat district late Tuesday evening has been found to be staying in India without a valid visa for about seven years, police said.

Yaniv Benaim, alias Atala, a suspected drug dealer was held by immigration authorities at the check post in Banbasa while trying to cross into Nepal, senior police officials said.

In the initial investigations, it was found that he was wanted in a physical assault case registered against him on April 25 in Goa’s Anjuna.

“During the checking by immigration authorities, he failed to show a valid visa for his stay in India. However, he had a valid passport,” said director general of police (law and order), Ashok Kumar.

During the questioning by immigration and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) authorities, he told them he was earlier extradited to India in August 2011 from Peru and was arrested in a narcotic case involving police, politicians and drug dealers in Goa.

“He was extradited in relation to a drug-related case. Till the disposal of the case, he was lodged in a jail in Goa for five months after which he was acquitted by a court. Since then, he was living in India without a valid visa,” said Kumar.

Last month, he was booked in a case of assault in Goa’s Anjuna.

“When we spoke to the Goa Police about it, they confirmed it. After yesterday’s incident, a case has been registered against him under section 14 of Foreigners Act. Investigations are on,” he added.

In 2008, his former Swedish girlfriend who went by the name Lucky Farmhouse had uploaded a video in her blog in which Atala is heard boasting of how he pays off both politicians and policemen in Goa in order to continue with his drug business and even named one ‘Roy’.

Atala also claimed that Goa Police were selling confiscated narcotics back in the drug market and that he was buying drugs from the police themselves.

Atala’s boast on video forced the authorities to launch an investigation. Seven Goa Police officials were arrested by the CBI.

He went missing after he was released from jail while the suspended policemen were reinstated.

First Published: May 01, 2019 19:35 IST