- विज्ञापन -
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches today at seven locations across Haryana in connection with the ‘Donkey Route case,’ which involves the illegal deportation of immigrants from the United States in February 2025. The searches are ongoing in Mansa, Kurukshetra, and Karnal, carried out by the Jalandhar Zonal Office.
These operations follow a previous search conducted on July 9 at 11 locations across Amritsar, Sangrur, Patiala, Moga, Ambala, Kurukshetra, and Karnal. The prior searches targeted travel and visa agents suspected of being part of an illegal immigration network based on credible intelligence.
Officials revealed that the investigation indicates that human traffickers and “second leg” agents facilitated the illegal movement of individuals outside India, working in league with “donkers”—trafficking intermediaries involved in organized human smuggling. The inquiry was initiated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), based on 17 FIRs registered by law enforcement agencies in Punjab and Haryana against travel agents and middlemen accused of cheating desperate individuals seeking to migrate to the US.
The agents allegedly lured individuals with promises of legal travel arrangements but ultimately trafficked them via dangerous, illegal routes called the “Donkey Route,” which involves multi-country land crossings often filled with risks. According to ED findings, the agents charged affected persons between Rs 45 and Rs 50 lakh under the guise of legal migration services.
Victims were smuggled across borders through jungles and hazardous terrains, with organized crime networks and traffickers involved. Once in transit, perpetrators allegedly pressured families to pay additional amounts by creating fear and threatening the safety of their loved ones.
Statements from deported individuals have been collected, helping authorities identify multiple suspects, whose premises are now being searched as part of the investigation. The case underscores growing concerns over international human trafficking networks that operate under the cover of legitimate immigration services.
