A man from Haryana, Pankaj Rawat, paid Rs 35 lakh to agents in hopes of reaching the US through an illegal ‘dunki’ route. Despite crossing 11 countries over six months, he was caught upon arrival in the US and deported back to India, police said.
Rawat, a native of Panipat, has now filed a complaint with the Gujarat police against two agents, accusing them of cheating and human trafficking. Based on his complaint, the police have launched an investigation. The ‘dunki’ route is a dangerous path used by traffickers to smuggle migrants into western countries like the US.
Rawat’s journey began in August 2024 and ended in February 2025. His dream of settling in the US was shattered when authorities arrested and deported him shortly after he crossed the Tecate border.
According to the FIR, the two agents, Abdulla and Pradeep, convinced Rawat that they could help him reach the US, secure a job, and arrange accommodation. In return, they charged him Rs 35 lakh.
Rawat gathered Rs 20 lakh through savings and loans and paid Abdulla in Surat in January 2024. Later, he paid the remaining Rs 15 lakh in Delhi. Following the agents’ instructions, he flew from Mumbai to Guyana on August 6, 2024. Upon arrival, he contacted Pradeep, whose aides took his passport and SIM card.
He was then transported through multiple countries. After a dangerous taxi ride through the jungle, he stayed in Brazil for 10 days before being sent to Peru and Ecuador.
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In Ecuador, he was held hostage for 25 days before being moved to Colombia, where he was forced to stay in a house in Monteria city for four months. When Rawat questioned the delay, the agents refused to return his money and threatened to kill him.
After a long wait, he was sent through a dangerous forest to Panama, where he lived for 10 days before being sent to Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Guatemala. In Mexico City, he was kept in a hotel for 15 days, then transported to Hermosillo, where he stayed another 15 days.
On February 1, 2025, Rawat entered the US through the Tecate border. As soon as he crossed over, US authorities arrested him and held him in detention with other Indian migrants for 15 days. On February 16, he was deported to India on a US Air Force plane, landing in Amritsar.
The Surat crime branch confirmed that the FIR was first filed in Panipat and later transferred to Gujarat for investigation since Rawat met the agents and made the payments while working in Surat. The police are now investigating the case based on his complaint.
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