CHANDIGARH: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted searches at eleven locations across Punjab and Haryana as part of an ongoing money-laundering investigation into a 'dunki route' case involving illegal immigrants who were deported by the United States earlier this year.
Sources said that the Jalandhar zonal office of the apex agency carried out search operations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Amritsar, Sangrur, Patiala, and Moga in Punjab, and Ambala, Kurukshetra, and Karnal in Haryana.
The ED’s investigation is based on 19 FIRs registered by police in both Punjab and Haryana against several travel agents and middlemen. As part of the probe, the agency also raided the residence of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Totewala) leader Sukh Gill in Jalandhar.
The searches were conducted at premises linked to individuals and entities whose names surfaced during the course of the investigation, said sources.
According to officials, around 131 youths from Punjab were deported from the United States in February this year. They were flown back to India in handcuffs aboard US military aircraft, triggering widespread public outrage.
Sources further revealed that the travel agents allegedly duped aspiring migrants out of rS 45–55 lakh each. Many of these agents never met the victims in person and operated through local contacts. The youth were promised legitimate overseas placements but were instead pushed to take the illegal ‘dunki’ route, passing through multiple countries.
Investigators found that these “donkers” and their associates exerted pressure on the migrants and their families for additional payments while the youths were in transit.
It is learnt that the ED has recorded statements from several deportees, which have helped map the network’s operational structure and identify new suspects.
“The deportees were asked to submit all relevant documents, including bank account details of the travel agents who received payments. A thorough investigation was launched under PMLA as the case involves significant illegal financial transactions,” said an official on condition of anonymity.
