Hazaribagh District Police in Jharkhand, have unearthed an international human trafficking syndicate operating from rural Jharkhand with transnational links extending as far as the United States.
Acting on the complaint of a trafficking survivor, five accused persons have been arrested, including the alleged mastermind, Uday Kumar Kushwaha, a U.S.-based native of Bharajo village under Tatijharia Police Station.
Hazaribagh District Police in Jharkhand have unearthed an international human trafficking syndicate operating from rural Jharkhand with transnational links extending as far as the United States. Acting on the complaint of a trafficking survivor, five accused have been arrested, including the alleged mastermind, Uday Kumar Kushwaha, a US-based native of Bharajo village under Tatijharia Police Station.
The case came to light on July 30, when Sonu Kumar, a resident of Bharajo, filed a complaint at Tatijharia PS. He alleged that Uday Kumar, who has reportedly lived in the United States for over four decades, lured him and others with false promises of jobs in America.
Sonu was allegedly trafficked in 2024 through a notorious smuggling path commonly referred to as the “donkey route” - a treacherous, illegal migration trail spanning several Latin American nations. According to the FIR (No. 32/25 dated 31/07/2025), Sonu was sent to Brazil on forged documents, only to fall into the hands of an international smuggling network.
He and other victims, including Bikash Kumar and Pintu Kumar, were then moved across countries such as Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Guatemala, before reaching Mexico en route to the US.
During this ordeal, Sonu was reportedly held captive for 50 days, during which traffickers extorted ₹45 lakh from his family. His father, under intense pressure, sold ancestral land and transferred money to Uday Kumar’s associates.
Though Sonu ultimately reached San Diego, he was apprehended by U.S. border authorities and held in detention for four months before being deported to India in March 2025. Upon returning, Sonu's attempts to reclaim the extorted money were allegedly met with threats and assault. Fearing for his safety, he approached the police.
Following his complaint, a special task force arrested five individuals: Uday Kumar Kushwaha (currently abroad), his brother Chouhan Prasad, Darshan Prasad, Lalmohan Prasad, and Shankar Prasad.
Police recovered key evidence, including WhatsApp chats from Uday Kumar’s phone, financial records, and a handwritten list of trafficked individuals and payments received. Preliminary investigations revealed the group’s involvement in smuggling multiple individuals between 2013 and 2022.
Police have termed this crackdown a significant step in combating human trafficking. Investigations continue to trace international collaborators and additional victims. The authorities have urged citizens to report any suspicious migration-related activity to curb such organised crimes.
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