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 into the United States through the Canada-US border, news agency PTI reported.
The investigation stems from the tragic death of a four-member family from Dingucha village in Gujarat, who succumbed to extreme cold while attempting to cross the border illegally on January 19, 2022.
The ED initiated its probe after taking cognisance of an FIR filed by Ahmedabad Police against Bhavesh Ashokbhai Patel and others. Patel is accused of orchestrating a conspiracy to traffic Indian nationals to the United States through Canada using illegal channels. The case has been registered under the criminal provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
According to the ED, the accused facilitated admissions of individuals to Canadian colleges and universities as part of the trafficking network.
These individuals applied for Canadian student visas but, upon reaching Canada, did not attend the institutions. Instead, they illegally crossed the border into the United States.
The ED has alleged that the fees paid to these Canadian colleges were remitted back to the individuals' accounts, raising suspicions about the institutions' complicity.
Indian nationals seeking to enter the US through this racket 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.
The searches uncovered two entities, one based in Mumbai and the other in Nagpur, which had agreements with foreign universities to facilitate student admissions on a commission basis.
The scale of the operation is staggering, with one entity referring approximately 25,000 students annually to foreign colleges, while the other sends over 10,000.
The investigation has also revealed the involvement of 1,700 agents or partners in Gujarat and 3,500 across the rest of India, of which around 800 are currently active.
Further, the ED disclosed that 112 Canadian colleges had agreements with one of the entities under scrutiny, while another entity was linked to over 150 colleges.
Out of 262 such institutions in Canada, the ED suspects that a few located near the Canada-US border may be directly involved in human trafficking activities.
The ED has frozen Rs 19 lakh in bank deposits, seized two vehicles, and confiscated incriminating documents and digital devices during its searches.
Two people, including an Indian national, were convicted for the death of the four family members who succumbed to extreme cold. Both men, Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, also known as 'Dirty Harry,' and Steve Anthony Shand have been convicted for human smuggling, including conspiracy to smuggle migrants into the US illegally.
According to the court documents, both the men were part of a large-scale operation that smuggled Indian nationals into the United States via Canada. The scheme involved bringing people to Canada on student visas, then illegally transporting them across the border into the US