Massive ED Crackdown On 'Donkey Route' Money Laundering In Punjab, Haryana

Massive ED Crackdown On 'Donkey Route' Money Laundering In Punjab, Haryana

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• Enforcement Directorate conducted searches at 11 locations in Punjab and Haryana in a money laundering probe
• The probe targets a human trafficking network using the illegal 'donkey route' to smuggle Indians to the US
• Seized evidence includes documents, digital devices, and 30 original Indian passports from a key agent's house

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out extensive search operations at 11 locations across Punjab and Haryana Wednesday in connection with a major money laundering probe linked to the notorious 'donkey route case'.

The searches were conducted under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

The coordinated operation spanned across Amritsar, Sangrur, Patiala, and Moga districts in Punjab, and Ambala, Kurukshetra, and Karnal in Haryana.

The case relates to a human trafficking network that illegally routed Indian citizens to the United States via multiple countries - a dangerous and illegal method popularly known as "donkey route." Many of the individuals sent through this route were deported from the US in February.

The ED launched the investigation based on multiple cases filed by the Punjab and Haryana police under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (erstwhile Indian Penal Code) and the Immigration Act, 1983.

According to the ED, several travel agents and middlemen were found to have duped people aspiring to migrate to the US, luring them with false promises of legal passage.

Instead, they were illegally smuggled across borders by human traffickers ("donkers") in collusion with organised criminal networks. These agents also allegedly threatened the migrants and extorted additional money from their families during the perilous journey.

During the searches, the agency seized a trove of incriminating material, including documents, digital devices, and 30 original Indian passports from the house of one of the key agents.

Evidence points to cash and hawala transactions worth several crores of rupees, carried out by duping innocent citizens. The investigation has also unearthed names of several other agents and immigration firms involved in running the illegal racket on a large scale.

Further investigation is underway.