After US Deports Indian Immigrants, ED Summons Them To Probe Travel Agents Behind ‘Dunki Route’ Human Trafficking

In a significant move against illegal immigration, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued summons to 11 Indian nationals recently deported from the United States as part of an ongoing investigation into travel agents facilitating illegal migration via the notorious "Dunki Route", The New Indian Express reported.

TNIE sources revealed that the ED dispatched summons on Tuesday (4 March), instructing the deportees to appear at its Jalandhar office on specified dates. Among them, at least one individual hails from Haryana, while the others are from Punjab.

The investigation falls under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and aims to trace illicit financial transactions linked to human trafficking.

Authorities disclosed that 15 cases were initially analysed, leading to the identification of 11 deportees, whose details and addresses were successfully obtained.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Police has already registered 15 cases against travel agents based on complaints filed by deportees after their debriefing. However, sources indicated that the ED has yet to officially request these records from the police.

The "Dunki Route" is an elaborate human trafficking network operated by unscrupulous travel agents and touts across multiple countries. It typically involves illegal migrants taking flights, trekking through dense forests, and crossing rivers to reach Mexico, from where they unlawfully enter the United States.

Preliminary data collected by state authorities after questioning deportees at Amritsar International Airport revealed that over Rs 44 crore was paid to travel agents for these illegal journeys.

Each migrant reportedly spent between Rs 40 lakh and Rs 50 lakh to reach the US via this dangerous route. The United States has deported 345 illegal Indian immigrants so far, with 131 individuals from Punjab arriving in four separate batches.

These deportations intensified following Donald Trump’s presidency, which began on 20 January. The first deportation flight landed in Amritsar on 5 February, carrying 104 immigrants, including 31 from Punjab.

The second flight, arriving on 15 February, brought 116 deportees, 65 of whom were from Punjab. The third flight, on 16 February, carried 112 deportees, with 31 hailing from Punjab.

The final batch, comprising 12 individuals deported from Panama, arrived on 23 February via a Turkish Airlines commercial flight at IGI Airport, Delhi, with four from Punjab.

The lure of migration to Western countries, particularly among Punjab’s youth, has been exploited by fraudulent travel agents who use various deceptive means, including the "Dunki Route," student visas, and sham marriages.

Over the past three years, Punjab authorities have registered 3,225 FIRs against travel agents involved in human smuggling.

Additionally, over 1,100 cases have been filed under the Punjab Prevention of Human Smuggling Act 2012. With the ED intensifying its probe, authorities are set to trace illicit money trails and dismantle the networks enabling illegal migration.