Jalandhar, July 12: The Jalandhar-based Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided 11 locations in Punjab and Haryana as part of its money laundering probe in the high-profile ‘Donkey Route’ case involving Indians deported from the US. The raids, which began on Wednesday, ended on Thursday. The raids were carried out in Amritsar, Sangrur, Patiala, Moga, Ambala, Kurukshetra and Karnal districts.
After the raid, the ED recovered 30 passports from the house of agents who were involved in sending people through the ‘donkey route’. The investigation also revealed that the agents transacted crores of rupees in cash and through hawala. The ED said that during these raids, several incriminating documents, records and digital devices were recovered and seized.
The ED initiated this action on the basis of several FIRs registered by the Punjab and Haryana Police. These FIRs were registered under the Indian Penal Code (now BNS 2023) and the Immigration Act 1983. The investigation revealed that people wishing to go to America were deceived by travel agents and brokers that they would send them to America legally.
Some big players are also under investigation
But in reality, they were illegally smuggled across the borders of many countries through dangerous routes through the ‘Dunki Route’. People were sent on this route with the help of human trafficking mafia and Dunkers (smuggling gangs). Not only this, the mafia and agents used to create intimidating situations on the way and collect extra money.
During the search operation, names of many other agents and immigration agencies also came to light, who are running this illegal business on a large scale. ED can soon make a big disclosure in the whole case, because names of some big players have also come to light in the case.