Investigators probing the case of five mysterious men fleeing a hotel in the Orissa capital on Monday evening, on Thursday cleared the air saying that the said persons were not “suspected terrorists”.

“The five Iranian citizens detained at Nakkapalli police station in Andhra Pradesh possess valid passports and visas. They had come to India on tourist visas. As some suspicion had come up, we were verifying from all the angles. Prima facie, they have come to India as tourists,” Visakhapa-tnam SP (rural) Praveen Koya was quoted as saying.

Orissa IG (crime branch) Arun Bothra said investigation was on over their suspicious behaviour at a city-based hotel on the eve of Republic Day.

On Wednesday, the Nakkapalli police in Visakhapatnam intercepted a Toyota Corolla car with Delhi registration with five occupants reportedly resembling the suspects. They were taken to the local police station for interrogation.

A team from the Orissa crime branch (special task force) on Thursday reached Visakhapatnam to join the interrogation of the foreign nationals.

The Iranian tourists had created a flutter in Bhubaneswar on the eve of Republic Day after city-based Hotel Arya Mahal staff had reported to the local police about the suspicious exit of a men who had come to enquire about occupancy.

The visitors were said to have left the hotel in a huff on being asked to produce identity proof to book a room.

Following this, the police sounded a high alert and sealed the entry and exit points to the city to avoid any untoward incident and smooth passage of the Republic Day celebrations.

In a joint operation by central agencies, Andhra Police and Delhi Police, Odisha counterparts traced the car passing through Girisola inter-state check gate in Ganjam. The car with five occupants was intercepted by Nakkapalli police station and were detained for questioning