New Delhi: In 2018, over 3,800 foreigners were arrested in the country with West Bengal alone reporting 35 per cent of the total crimes committed by them, according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data.

Altogether, 3,822 foreigners -- 2,859 males and 963 females -- were arrested in 2018 across India, the data stated.

The NCRB recorded 2,128 crimes committed by foreigners in 2018 across the country, while the numbers stood at 2,242 in 2017 and 1,226 in 2016.

During the same year, 517 crimes were committed against foreigners in India, up from 492 in 2017 and 382 in 2016. Delhi alone reported over 36 per cent of such cases in 2018, the NCRB said.

Among all states and Union Territories, West Bengal reported 744 crimes committed by foreigners, constituting 35 per cent of the total number of such crimes across India.

Delhi reported 203 crimes (9.5 per cent) committed by foreigners, followed by 175 in Karnataka (8.2 per cent), 147 in Himachal Pradesh (6.9 per cent), 138 in Goa (6.5 per cent) and 134 in Maharashtra (6.3 per cent), the data showed.

The maximum number of reported cases, 999 in number, were registered under the Foreigners Act, 1946, and Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939, followed by 273 cases under the Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 148 under the Passport Act and 113 of cheating, the data showed.

There were also 16 cases of murder, seven of rape, six of kidnapping and abduction and five of human trafficking.

In terms of crimes committed against foreigners, Delhi reported 189 cases (36.6 per cent), followed by 63 in Maharashtra (12.2 per cent), 62 in Uttar Pradesh (12 per cent), 51 in Tamil Nadu (9.9 per cent), 34 in Goa (6.6 per cent) and 28 in Karnataka (5.4 per cent), the data showed.

The total crimes against foreigners included 259 cases of theft, 52 cases of assault on women with intent to outrage modesty, 27 cases of rape, 12 cases of human trafficking and 11 of murder, the data stated.

The NCRB, under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, is responsible for collecting and analysing data on crime, as defined by the Indian Penal Code and special and local laws in the country.