CHANDIGARH: Nine residents of Punjab were deported from Australia on a chartered flight on Thursday over a string of criminal charges and immigration violations.The use of a private Nauru Airlines aircraft was necessitated after seven of them displayed “non-compliant and disruptive behavior” during previous attempts to remove them via commercial flights, according to documents accessed by TOI.The documents reveal that only two of the deportees had valid passports. The remaining seven were issued emergency certificates by Indian consulates, though three refused to sign the documents or cooperate with the removal process.
The group includes one woman, Shruti Sharma (45) of Kiratpur Sahib (Ropar). She was deported solely for overstaying her visa, while the eight men were allegedly involved in criminal activities and grave violations.According to official records, charges against the men include possession of drugs—such as heroin, methylamphetamine, cannabis, and drug paraphernalia—as well as stalking, assaulting a police officer, domestic violence, and driving under the influence.Overstaying ‘stress’, drug arrests: Deportees’ Oz visit turns sourOther charges include driving without a license, carrying an offensive weapon, shoplifting, vehicle theft, burglary, fraud, trespass, and breach of bail.The deportees have been identified as residents of Hoshiarpur, Tarn Taran, Jalandhar, Moga, Ludhiana, Nawanshahr, and Gurdaspur. All were in their 30s, except for one 41-year-old.In statements recorded with the Punjab Police upon arrival, many admitted to serving time in Australian jails following convictions. A few others facing multiple legal issues claimed they were deported despite having cases still pending against them.The nine went to Australia primarily on study or tourist visas. Several claimed they managed to extend their stays initially but were detained after further visa extensions were denied.One deportee, who arrived in Australia in 2016 on a tourist visa arranged by his sister, claimed he turned to drugs and alcohol after being assaulted in 2019. He said his subsequent application for a study visa was rejected. He was later arrested for drug possession and claimed to have spent two years in a detention centre.Another, an MBA student who arrived in 2014, cited stress of overstaying his visa as the reasons for his drug use. He was arrested in Dec 2025. Another man, who studied in Australia from 2014 to 2017, claimed he repeatedly extended a “protection visa” before being jailed for several offenses and spending eight months in detention.One person who arrived in 2008 to study hospitality claimed he applied for refugee status after his initial visa was refused.The group had been held in various detention centres, including Yongah Hill, Melbourne, and Villawood in Sydney.
