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Linked to Deportation of 330 Indians from US in February
New Delhi/Chandigarh: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Thursday carried out searches at 13 business and residential premises across Punjab, Haryana and Delhi in connection with the high-profile ‘donkey route’ illegal immigration case, in which 330 Indians were deported from the United States aboard a military cargo aircraft in February 2025.
According to officials, the ED’s investigation has revealed that the deported individuals were trafficked to the US through the ‘donkey route’, a clandestine and dangerous pathway involving a multi-layered network of travel agents, middlemen, overseas facilitators, hawala operators, and logistics providers who arranged travel, lodging and documentation.
Second- and Third-Layer Operatives Under Scanner
Officials said earlier searches and evidence collection had helped identify second- and third-tier operatives in the trafficking chain, whose roles had not surfaced during the initial phase of the probe. These individuals and entities are now being covered in the current round of searches.
Among those targeted in Thursday’s raids are Richi Travels (Jalandhar), Tarun Khosla (Delhi) and Balwan Sharma (Panipat), all of whom are suspected of facilitating illegal overseas migration or handling proceeds generated from the racket.
Assets Worth ₹5.41 Crore Attached
The ED recently attached assets worth ₹5.41 crore belonging to individuals accused of generating proceeds of crime by sending people abroad illegally through the donkey route. These assets include movable and immovable properties linked to the trafficking network.
The agency is examining financial trails, hawala transactions and overseas linkages to identify the full scale of the syndicate and determine the role of each accused. Officials said further action is likely as the investigation continues to unravel the international illegal immigration racket.
