TORONTO: A 22-year-old Indian national wanted for murder was intercepted by U.S. border authorities on Sunday while attempting to slip into Canada under a false identity.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said the man, identified as Vishat Kumar, tried to cross the Peace Bridge from Buffalo, N.Y., into Ontario using a fake name and date of birth. India has issued an Interpol Red Notice seeking his arrest for murder.
After Canada denied him entry, CBP officers conducted a secondary inspection where Kumar’s real identity was revealed through biometric checks, including fingerprint analysis.
According to the CBP’s Buffalo office, Kumar had unlawfully entered the United States last year and later skipped a scheduled asylum interview. Following Sunday’s interception, he was transferred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and is now being held at a federal detention facility in Batavia, N.Y., pending removal proceedings to India.
An Interpol Red Notice is a global police alert for fugitives wanted for serious crimes such as murder, rape, child abuse or armed robbery. While it signals that a country is seeking a suspect, it is not an arrest warrant and does not obligate enforcement; individual jurisdictions decide how to respond under their own laws.
The U.S. and India have an extradition treaty, but deportation of an undocumented foreign national does not require extradition proceedings, which must be formally initiated through diplomatic channels. The CBP release did not state whether Kumar has retained legal counsel.
Authorities have not disclosed details of the murder case in India.
“This apprehension highlights the critical role our officers play in safeguarding our nation and coordinating with global partners to uphold justice, ” said Acting Area Port Director Sharon Swiatek. “Our officers’ vigilance ensured that an individual attempting to evade accountability for serious crimes was identified and taken into custody.”