As Infiltration is one of the crimes that threatens any country's stability, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) continues to crack down on the illegal entry of individuals without any legal documentation, including passports.
In recent weeks, the Coast Guard Police in North Al Batinah Governorate arrested 19 individuals of Asian nationalities on board a boat off the coast of Shinas Governorate as they attempted to enter the country illegally.
The Coast Guard police in the Dhofar Governorate arrested a boat carrying five individuals of Yemeni nationality while they were entering Omani territorial waters illegally, in possession of large quantities of narcotic substances and prohibited cigarettes intended for smuggling and trafficking, and legal procedures against them are being completed.
Following surveillance targeting suspects in drug trafficking cases, the Directorate General for Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Control managed to apprehend three individuals of Asian nationality while they were extracting quantities of crystal meth and hashish drugs from one of the beaches in Quriyat, after coordinating with an international gang outside the country to smuggle the quantity and conceal it on the beach, and legal procedures against them are being completed.
The Musandam Governorate Police apprehended 156 individuals of Asian nationalities in the wilayats of Dibba and Bukha for entering the country illegally.
Coast Guard police boats, led by Musandam Governorate Police, apprehended a boat near the shore of the Wilayat of Khasab carrying 13 individuals of Asian nationalities while attempting to enter the country illegally.
The Directorate of Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Control in the Muscat Governorate arrested a person in the Al-Seeb Governorate in possession of quantities of the narcotic heroin, marijuana, crystal, hashish, and tablets of psychotropic substances, with the intent to traffic and consume.
The biggest danger, according to the ROP, is that some people would hire them because they think their price is low and they want to reduce the cost. The reason why they like to trespass is perhaps to find a job because there are not enough opportunities to work in their home. Secondly, they might be wanted by their concerned authorities or the security authorities and escape being detained or held accountable. Other intentions include smuggling drugs, like transferring some thoughts and culture that do not contradict our beliefs."
As per the Foreigners Residency Law, the illegal entrant can get a sentence of not less than a month and not more than three years, and a fine between RO100 and RO500.
Those responsible for hiring and accommodating infiltrators will be subject to a fine between RO1,000 and RO2,000 and imprisonment for about 10 to 30 days.
The problem with infiltration is that authorities have no data about them if they are caught, and secondly, they might be involved with gangs that pose threats because of their likely involvement in the transfer of weapons, drug smuggling, and serious crimes.
Some countries do not have embassies, which sometimes might take longer for the concerned authorities to search for the embassy for that trespasser, so he will take a longer time in detention.
Authorities have been conducting awareness campaigns on the dangers of accommodating or hiring someone without any documentation.
ROP says that once an infiltrator is arrested, he is immediately referred for legal procedures, and besides get in touch with their embassies for deportation.
Challenges posed by infiltration.
- Difficult to conduct an investigation when an infiltrator commits a crime due to the absence of a database.
- Extra burden on healthcare due to spread of diseases, especially if employed in fisheries and agriculture sector.
- Spread of bad behaviors, including the use of drugs.
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