The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is investigating the alleged involvement of certain Canadian colleges and Indian entities in a money laundering case linked to the trafficking of Indian nationals across the Canada-US border.
The probe was initiated following the tragic deaths of a family of four from Dingucha village in Gujarat, who died from exposure to extreme cold while attempting to cross the border on January 19, 2022, illegally.
The investigation began after the Ahmedabad Police filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Bhavesh Ashokbhai Patel and others. Patel is accused of orchestrating a conspiracy to traffick Indian nationals into the United States via Canada using illegal routes. The case has been filed under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
According to the ED, Patel and his associates facilitated the admissions of individuals to Canadian colleges and universities as part of a trafficking network. These individuals, having applied for student visas, did not attend the institutions in Canada but instead illegally crossed the border into the United States.
The ED has alleged that the fees paid to these Canadian colleges were refunded to the individuals’ accounts, raising suspicions of the colleges’ involvement in the trafficking scheme.
Indian nationals attempting to enter the US through this network were reportedly charged between Rs 55 lakh and Rs 60 lakh each.
In its ongoing investigation, the ED conducted searches at eight locations in Mumbai, Nagpur, Gandhinagar and Vadodara on December 10 and 19. During the raids, the authorities uncovered two entities, one in Mumbai and the other in Nagpur, which had agreements with foreign universities to facilitate student admissions for a commission.
The scale of the operation is significant, with one entity referring around 25,000 students annually to foreign universities, while the other sends more than 10,000. The investigation has also revealed that 1,700 agents or partners are involved in Gujarat, with 3,500 operating across the rest of India, 800 of whom are currently active.
Additionally, the ED has identified that 112 Canadian colleges had agreements with one of the entities under investigation, while another entity had ties with more than 150 colleges. Of the 262 institutions in Canada, the ED suspects that several located near the Canada-US border may be directly implicated in human trafficking activities.
The ED has frozen Rs 19 lakh in bank accounts, seized two vehicles and confiscated incriminating documents and digital devices during the raids.
Dingucha Family Case
In connection with the deaths of the family members, two individuals, including an Indian national, have been convicted. Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, also known as ‘Dirty Harry,’ and Steve Anthony Shand were found guilty of human smuggling, including conspiring to smuggle migrants into the United States.
Court documents reveal that the two men were part of a large-scale operation smuggling Indian nationals into the United States via Canada. The scheme involved bringing individuals to Canada on student visas and then illegally transporting them across the border into the United States.
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