KOCHI: Most people in Cherai , who came in contact with the 50 plus ‘tourists’, couldn’t believe that they might have illegally immigrated to a foreign country. Hotel workers, homestay owners and auto drivers admit they had enough reasons to be suspicious, but they ignored it.The reasons were many like hesitation over sightseeing, absence of mobile use, scattered sitting while visiting restaurants, unusual stay extensions, not using credit/debit cards, frequent enquiries about local shops and medical stores.The group reached Cherai on January 5 and stayed at various homestays for nearly eight days. Though they came for a full tour in Kochi, they did not even visit nearby places.“Most women stayed inside their rooms while some men took autorickshaws to go to shops in Paravur and Kodungallur. When we told them about tourist spots like Fort Kochi, Mattancherry and Biennale, they listened carefully but said nothing. I did not smell anything fishy then as some tourists spend time only at the beach. Now, I feel they just wanted a temporary stay,” said a homestay manager who hosted 17 persons from the group.Though they booked rooms for two days, they extended stay by saying that their bus could not come due to the two-day nationwide strike. “I agreed and they paid the bill correctly. I did not think much till they said they wanted to extend their stay till January 12,” said Ajesh Joseph, who runs a homestay in CheraiAutorickshaw drivers said they frequented shops in North Paravur and Kodungallur for shopping. Hotel workers said: “They paid even before the food was served and we found it strange. Though they came together, they did not sit together and outside the range of CCTVs.”

Stay updated with all the Latest Kochi headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.