NEW DELHI: Three years ago, on January 19, 2022, a Gujarati family – 39-year-old Jagdish Patel, wife Vaishali (35), daughter (11) and son (3) – froze to death at the US-Canada border in Manitoba while trying to cross illegally into the US. The traffickers had left the family in the middle of a snowstorm at -37 degrees Celsius.
Three years later, a money laundering probe by the ED against the officers involved in the Patel family case has found an international syndicate of human traffickers comprising at least 260 colleges in Canada, which issued student visas to ‘illegal migrants’ to Canadian route to follow. to the US.
Investigation into Canadian colleges’ transactions and how much money they made from ‘illegals’
Those who found the student visa route more convenient, compared to the ‘mule route’, paid around Rs 50-60 lakh each to the agents to arrange their student visas and travel to Canada before being ‘pushed’ to the US. The Canadian colleges’ dealings and how much money they made from such “illegal migrants” are still being investigated.
“Investigations reveal that in order to send Indians illegally to the US, the agents arranged their admission to colleges/universities in Canada and sent them on student visas. Once in Canada, instead of joining the university, they illegally crossing the US-Canada border.” said Ed.
On December 10 and 19, ED conducted searches at eight premises in Mumbai, Nagpur, Gandhinagar and Vadodara on several officers involved in sending illegal migrants through these Canadian colleges.
“During searches, it has been revealed that around 35,000 illegal migrants are sent abroad every year by just two officers based in Mumbai and Nagpur,” ED said on Wednesday. The investigation also revealed that around 1,700 agents/associates in Gujarat and around 3,500 across India were involved in this racket. ED estimates that more than 800 officers are still active, despite a multi-agency crackdown on them.
The agency said its investigation revealed that at least two such agents, based in Mumbai and Nagpur, have signed agreements with several universities and colleges abroad for admission of students on commission basis. All potential illegal migrants are then prepared with the required documentation for a student visa.
During the searches, ED has seized Rs 19 lakh from bank accounts of the suspect, besides seizing documents and digital devices. The money laundering case is based on an FIR registered by Ahmedabad police against accused Bhavesh Patel, an officer involved in arranging the trip of Jagdish Patel (from Dingucha village) and his family in 2022.