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Immigration agents charged $70-90k for illegal entry into US
State officials have tracked down 15 agents who promised passengers entry into the US through the US-Mexico border
Representative image / Image - Unsplash
Gujarat’s Crime Investigation Department (CID), which is leading the investigation into the passengers on the chartered “Donkey Flight” to Nicaragua, has nabbed 15 immigration agents in connection with the crime.
According to media reports, more than 60 people from Gujarat were on board the flight that took off from Dubai but was grounded in France on suspicions of human trafficking.
Investigation found that passengers on the were using the “donkey route” to gain illegal entry into the United States. The CID said the passengers agreed to pay between INR 60 lakh ($72000) to ₹80 lakh ($96000) to the immigration agents, who would help them enter the U.S. illegally through Latin America after their arrival in Dubai.
Senior officials incharge of the investigation revealed to reporters that the agents were incharge of arranging flight tickets, visas and other documents in exchange for the fees. The passengers on the grounded flight reportedly had valid Dubai and Nicaragua visas.
The CID is currently investigating the matter. It has reportedly seeked assistance from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to gain more information about the agents, including how they acquired Dubai visas and visa of Nicaragua from Dubai as well as the details of who booked the flight tickets.
French authorities grounded the Airbus A340 carrying 303 passengers, including 260 Indians, at the Vatry Airport. An investigation was conducted for four days over suspected human trafficking charges, after which the flight was sent back to Mumbai.
During the detention in France, 25 passengers refused to return to India and stayed back to seek asylum in the foreign country. Majority of the passengers onboard the flight belonged to the states of Gujarat and Punjab.
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