The seven were picked up from Hotel Chandni International, located in the central part of the city, by the STF late on Friday night in a joint operation with personnel of the Bowbazar police Station, a senior officer of the Kolkata Police's STF section told PTI today.
"They have failed to show proper papers about their identities and their travelling papers to India. They have entered the country on forged documents. We suspect that they probably have used waterways to enter Chennai," the officer said.
Kolkata Police sources said that the seven had been putting up in the central Kolkata hotel for the last 25 days.
"They have said that they were trying to start a business in India. We are looking at whether they have any connection with any Indian terrorist group. We are also looking at if they came to Kolkata with the intention of causing any terrorist act during the Independence Day celebrations here," he said.
All seven were booked under various sections of the IPC and remanded to police custody by a city court till August 24.