32 nations, numerous abroad brokers & international cash trails: What Punjab Police investigation into ‘dunki’ routes have thus far revealed | Chandigarh Information

After a four-month journey that concerned a flight to Suriname in South America, an extended boat experience to Guyana, traversing the jungles of Panama on foot for 5 days and hiding in a vegetable truck for hours till the Mexican border by way of Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala, he lastly entered the US on January 25, solely to be deported again to India in February.

Gurwinder is among the many 131 deportees from Punjab who’ve been despatched again residence in batches from the US this month for having crossed into the nation illegally. The deportations have opened Pandora’s field, with the Punjab Police now investigating how a community of brokers throughout the globe helped these Indian deportees enter the US by way of the unlawful “dunki” route.

An evaluation of 19 FIRs registered by the police offers a glimpse of how the brokers have tried to ship Indians to the US by way of numerous routes – from China, Guinea, Kenya, Egypt, Kenya, Czech Republic, Belarus, Bahamas, Nigeria, to Italy, the Netherlands, Malta, Suriname, Thailand, Dubai and Spain.

The names of a minimum of 32 nations that the deportees traversed determine in these FIRs, with the 19 deportees having paid a complete of Rs 7.89 crore to brokers to take them to the US.

In line with the preliminary knowledge collected by the Punjab authorities after chatting with the deportees who landed at Amritsar airport, it’s estimated that the full cash paid to those brokers – together with from the unregistered complaints — at the moment stands at Rs 44.70 crore.

What has additional added to the advanced investigation is that every case — based mostly on the deportees’ statements — reveals the involvement of the huge community of brokers and their aides (informally referred to as donkers) unfold throughout a number of nations.

Thirty-six brokers, their aides and kin have been booked in these 19 FIRs. No less than 5 brokers are natives of Punjab however are at the moment based mostly overseas in nations comparable to Spain, the UK, the US, Germany and Dubai. Different brokers are principally natives of Punjab and Haryana, together with a farm union chief from Moga who additionally ran an immigration enterprise.

The FIRs present that for many deportees, their journey started from small villages and cities of Punjab and spanned a minimum of three months to over a yr, solely to finish in deportation after these individuals crossed the US-Mexico by scaling the wall.

Whereas most deportees reached Brazil to journey additional in the direction of Mexico by way of the Darién Hole, some additionally travelled by way of one other Central American nation, El Salvador, to succeed in Mexico by way of flights.

However for a lot of deportees, the journey forward concerned a strenuous path by way of the Darien Hole — the one land route that connects South and North America – crossing rainforests, mountains and several other rivers by rickety boats, on foot and additional by taxis/buses earlier than lastly reaching the Mexican border. After reaching Brazil, they illegally crossed Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala earlier than lastly reaching Mexico to cross the US border.

The FIRs additionally point out a typical modus operandi of the brokers. In line with the deportees, because the journey progressed by way of a number of nations, the brokers collected cash from their relations again residence in tranches. Typically, the brokers would ship their conduits to gather cash and, in some circumstances, the “donkers” — aides of the brokers — would demand extra money than initially agreed on. The household again residence was then advised by way of WhatsApp calls that the journey wouldn’t progress until the quantity was paid.

‘Promised flights, cruise ships however taken on rickety boats, needed to stroll miles’

From a suspect in a snatching case to a dairy farmer, a truck driver and a restaurant worker, the FIRs reveal the motley group of individuals hopped from nation to nation, with every deportee spending Rs 40-45 lakh on a mean by “promoting ancestral land, mortgaging home and jewelry, promoting buffaloes, taking loans and so on”.

Amongst them is 26-year-old Gurwinder Singh of Ludhiana, who was wished in alleged snatching and theft circumstances.

In line with the FIR — registered towards 5 brokers, together with one from Dubai based mostly on his spouse Hardeep Kaur’s assertion to the police — Gurwinder began his journey in December 2023. He was despatched again twice from Nairobi (Kenya) and Belarus and even spent three days in a Russian jail after being caught illegally crossing the Russia-Belarus border. He reached the US on this third try by way of Abu Dhabi however was deported earlier this month.

Additionally among the many deportees are 21-year-old Jaswinder Singh from Moga, who was promised a US visa however was as a substitute despatched to Prague (Czech Republic) after which Spain; Ramandeep Singh from Nawanshahr, who travelled by way of the Bahamas after paying Rs 40 lakh to his brokers; and Patiala’s Aman, who paid USD 14,000 to a Pakistan-based agent, “physician,” who took him to the border by way of taxi.

In Gurdaspur, two journey agent brothers (certainly one of whom is settled within the US) have been booked on the criticism of two cousins — Harjit Singh and Harjot Singh — who spent Rs 40 lakh every and went by way of Amsterdam.

Mohali’s Taranveer Singh, who paid a Haryana-based agent Rs 45 lakh, was promised he could be taken by “cruise ships and flights”. “As a substitute, I used to be taken on rickety boats and needed to stroll on foot for miles,” he stated within the FIR.

Hoshiarpur’s Harwinder Singh, 41, advised police that he paid Rs 42 lakh to brokers. Within the first failed try, he was despatched to Thailand, then China after which again to Mumbai. Within the second try, he reached Brazil and additional crossed the Darien Hole to succeed in the border.

Gurdaspur’s Jaspal Singh, 36, a truck driver, has named two Punjabi brokers settled in Spain and Germany who allegedly took Rs 30 lakh from him to ship him to the US by way of England “legally” however did so by way of the dunki route.

Daler Singh, 38, a farmer from Amritsar, paid Rs 60 lakh to brokers who first despatched him by way of Nigeria however couldn’t prepare any flights forward. He was once more despatched by way of Dubai. Equally, Sangrur’s Davinder Singh was trafficked by way of Egypt after paying Rs 50 lakh.

NIA could be approached for help in transnational probe: ADGP

The Punjab Police, which arrange a four-member Particular Investigation Staff (SIT) to probe human trafficking allegations following the US deportations, is “contemplating approaching the Nationwide Investigation Company (NIA) within the coming days for superior help because the probe in these circumstances would develop throughout a number of nations”, ADGP (NRI affairs) PK Sinha, who heads the SIT, stated.

He claimed that from the assertion of the deportees, “a well-oiled community of brokers is facilitating this unlawful transportation of individuals by way of the dunki route” and that the police have been attempting to persuade as many deportees as doable to register FIRs, “however not all are coming ahead”.

“Three arrests have been made thus far and 19 FIRs registered… With the assistance of expertise and authorities businesses, SIT is attempting to hint the cash path and the community of brokers. We began the probe with native brokers and can ultimately develop to different nations,” he stated, including that the goal “was to focus on the massive fish”.