The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has uncovered a large human trafficking network involving 262 Canadian colleges and two Indian organizations. According to the ED, around 112 Canadian colleges were linked to one Indian entity, while over 150 colleges were connected to another.
The investigation revealed a network of agents operating across India. One entity had around 1,700 agents, with 800 actively involved in the trafficking operation in Gujarat alone.
The second entity had about 3,500 agents across India, playing a significant role in the illegal activities.
The ED began investigating this case based on an FIR filed by the DCB Crime Branch in Ahmedabad. The case relates to the tragic death of four Indian nationals from Dingucha village, Gujarat, who were found frozen at the Canada-US border on January 19, 2022.
On December 10 and 19, the ED's Ahmedabad Zonal Office carried out searches in Mumbai, Nagpur, Gandhinagar, and Vadodara under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
The raids led to the seizure of Rs 19 lakh in frozen bank accounts, documents, digital devices, and two vehicles.
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The investigation revealed that the accused were luring people with promises of illegal immigration to the US. Victims were charged between Rs 55 lakh and Rs 60 lakh each.
To carry out the plan, the accused arranged admissions in Canadian colleges and secured student visas. However, instead of attending classes, the individuals used their entry to Canada to illegally cross into the US.
In some cases, the tuition fees paid to the Canadian colleges were allegedly refunded to the students' accounts, suggesting the colleges were complicit in the scheme.
The ED found that one Indian entity facilitated admissions for around 25,000 students annually to various international colleges, while another processed over 10,000 students each year. These students were often unaware they were part of the illegal India-Canada human trafficking racket.
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