Our Bureau
New Delhi
This Friday, on July 11th, the Enforcement Directorate has carried out some fresh searches in the areas of Punjab and Haryana. These searches were conducted as part of the ongoing investigation in the money laundering case related to illegal Indian immigrants which the United States deported this year in February.
The investigation going on the ‘US Donkey Route’ has taken a new route as there were several searches conducted in Haryana and Punjab. These searches were carried out in 7 locations at Mansa in Punjab and Kurukshetra and Karnal in Haryana under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
As per reports the searches were based on the information collected in the search operation that were carried out a few days back. These operations reported the involvement of human traffickers in arranging these illegal routes outside India.
“This search is based on credible inputs gathered in the previous search operation conducted on July 9 at 11 locations. The inputs show that the second-leg persons/human traffickers were used to arrange illegal route resources outside India in connivance with donkers (human trafficking conduits),” said an official.
Known as the ‘US Donkey Route’ this case is around the 17 first information reports registered by the police in Haryana and Punjab against the travel or visa agents and middlemen who cheated various individuals looking to move abroad and enticed them with false promises. These agents told people that they will take care of their travel through legal channels and charged about Rs 45-50 lakh per person.
The agency reported, “The agents used to dupe innocent persons as they were sent through illegal routes (Donkey Route) by crossing the borders of many countries illegally through dangerous/jungle routes under the influence of donkers (human trafficking conduits) and the mafia. The agents, in conspiracy with the donkers and the mafia, would create such threatening situations for the persons and their families that they were forced to pay more…statements of a few deportees were recorded by the ED and further examination of facts revealed names of suspects…”
