On Monday, over two months after four individuals from Dingucha died at the Canadian border in a perilous journey to enter America illegally, officials from security agencies as well as the consulate generals of the United States and Canada arrived in Gandhinagar.
According to state home department sources, six representatives, including one from the Federal Investigation Bureau (FBI), met with Gujarat police officers investigating illegal immigration rings operating out of the state. Foreign agencies’ cooperation is expected to broaden the scope of the investigation into human smuggling rings.
On January 19, four members of a family from Dingucha village in Gandhinagar’s Kalol taluka froze to death 10 metres from the US-Canada border. Following this, Gujarat police raided other illegal immigration rings in north Gujarat, arresting eight local agents and questioning numerous others. “The officers from the United States and Canada are here to gather further leads on the case, as well as to ensure better coordination in order to halt illegal immigration from the state,” stated an officer in the know.
According to a home department official, “The officers intend to speak with airline officials after a local police probe indicated that some airline staff is suspected of assisting local agents in transporting people abroad. The authorities also mentioned how people from Gujarat have been relocating to the United States and Canada after faking their identities.”
“The US and Canadian officials want multi-layered security checks at the city airport to prevent illicit travel to the US at the source,” a home department official said.
Meanwhile, according to a senior police source, “The officers have requested that Gujarat police take strong action against the individuals involved in these rackets. According to a US consulate general officer, the six persons who traveled to Canada with Dingucha’s family would be returned to India soon.”
