The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two persons, including a resident of Kangra in Himachal and a native of Ropar in Punjab, for their alleged role in trafficking humans to the US through the ‘dunki’ route. The arrests followed searches in Himachal Pradesh and Delhi.
The accused, Sunny alias Sunny Donker of Dharamshala of Kangra and Shubham Sandhal alias Deep Hundi of Ropar, who was living in Peeragarhi in Outer Delhi, were arrested on Friday. They are associates of Gagandeep Singh alias Goldy, who was arrested in March. Gagandeep was arrested on a complaint by a person who was trafficked to the US through the dunki route and was deported to India in February. ‘Dunki’ refers to an illegal and risky pathway that immigrants take to enter countries like the United States without proper documentation.
The NIA said Gagandeep used to take around Rs 45 lakh from each person wanting to settle in the US and would promise to send them there on a valid legal visa. He would send them on an arduous journey through multiple countries, including Spain, El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico. Sunny, the main associate of Gagandeep, played a key role in facilitating the illegal travel. Shubham Sandhal, on the other hand, was a hawala courier operator involved in transferring funds to donkers in Latin America.
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