Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday conducted raids in multiple cities across Punjab and Haryana as part of a money-laundering investigation into a “donkey-route” case involving illegal Indian immigrants deported by the US this year.
Enforcement Directorate (Image:DC)
NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday conducted raids in multiple cities across Punjab and Haryana as part of a money-laundering investigation into a “donkey-route” case involving illegal Indian immigrants deported by the US this year.
Officials said PMLA searches were carried out at the offices and homes of suspects and agents in at least 11 cities, including Amritsar, Sangrur, Patiala, and Moga in Punjab, and Ambala, Kurukshetra, and Karnal in Haryana.
The probe stems from 17 FIRs registered by Punjab and Haryana police against travel and visa agents who cheated individuals seeking to travel illegally to the US. In February, several Indians from these states, and a few from others, were deported on US military flights, and the central agency subsequently recorded statements from some deportees.
Those statements, along with related inquiries, identified key suspects whose premises were searched. According to the Enforcement Directorate, agents targeted vulnerable individuals by falsely promising safe, legal travel to the US via commercial flights, charging fees of ₹45–50 lakh per person.
The probe stems from 17 FIRs registered by Punjab and Haryana police against travel and visa agents who cheated individuals seeking to travel illegally to the US. In February, several Indians from these states, and a few from others, were deported on US military flights, and the central agency subsequently recorded statements from some deportees.
Those statements, along with related inquiries, identified key suspects whose premises were searched. According to the Enforcement Directorate, agents targeted vulnerable individuals by falsely promising safe, legal travel to the US via commercial flights, charging fees of ₹45–50 lakh per person.
In reality, the agents sent their clients along perilous “donkey routes,” crossing multiple borders illegally through dangerous terrain under the guidance of “donkers” and mafia operatives. The sources added that, in collusion with these intermediaries, the agents created a threatening environment that coerced travellers and their families into paying ever-increasing sums.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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