‘U.S. donkey route’ case: ED probe reveals human traffickers used fake visas to send Indians abroad
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An Indian deported from the U.S. leaves the airport upon their arrival, in Amritsar on February 16, 2025. | Photo Credit: PTI
Fake visas were also being used by human traffickers to send Indians abroad, the Enforcement Directorate has found during its probe into the “U.S. donkey route” case linked to the deportation of illegal immigrants from the United States in February.
During the searches so far, the agency has seized forged emigration stamps of various foreign countries, visa templates, various other related papers, and digital devices.
“...forged emigration stamps and visa template stamps of foreign countries were used to manipulate the visa/records of migrants who intended to travel abroad. With such manipulated visa records, the migrants chose the risky ‘donkey routes’ to travel abroad and settle there. The forged emigration stamps were used to prepare fake visas and the same were used for journeys abroad for the donkers [human trafficking conduits],” the agency said.
The persons whose premises were searched by the ED had allegedly played a role in the generation of proceeds of crime from human trafficking. “...such travel agents/middlemen, who are involved in the above scam, had accumulated movable and immovable properties obtained out of the proceeds of crime,” it said, adding that various middlemen and travel agents, including both Indian and foreign nationals, were part of the network.
The accused persons would operate in a clandestine manner. The network also employs certain persons, mostly Indian nationals residing abroad, for their illegal business of sending persons overseas without proper documents. Primarily, these agents and middlemen “gave false assurances” to the deportees that they were being sent on legal routes, said the ED.
The agents used international mobile numbers to communicate with their foreign counterparts through WhatsApp chats and other encrypted modes. Payments had also been made using the “hawala” channels. 62
The ED has so far conducted searches at 18 locations in different parts of Punjab and Haryana, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The probe is based on multiple cases registered by the police in both the States.
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