Cost of the American dream: Indian duo kidnapped, tortured, threatened with organ trafficking in Azerbaijan rescued

The duo's journey to the US via the 'donkey route' was facilitated by a Mumbai-based agent

• Two Gujarat youths rescued in Azerbaijan after kidnapping on illegal US route
• Families paid ransom; Indian embassy launched 'Operation Mahisagar' for rescue
• Victims now safe under Indian embassy protection; return to India pending

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Two youths from Gujarat, who took the 'donkey route' to travel to the US, were recently rescued from Azerbaijan after an MP from Gujarat's Anand alerted External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar that the duo were kidnapped, tortured and threatened with organ trafficking.

Dhruv Patel (22) and Deepika Patel (32), both from Kanthariya in Gujarat's Anand district came in contact with each other at the Delhi airport. Their journey to the US via the 'donkey route' was facilitated by a Mumbai-based agent. Dhruv paid around Rs 35 lakh to the agent, while the woman shelled out around Rs 15 lakh.

The donkey or the 'dunki' route, as its more commonly known, is an illegal migration route mainly used by people from India and South Asian, requiring one to cross multiple countries and forests to reach the US. Azerbaijan, which lies at the border of Eastern Europe and West Asia, is a key transit point in the complex network of the donkey route to the US.

According to a report in India Today, Dhruv and Deepika reached Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, on February 1. Upon landing, an agent, identified as Pawan, asked them to switch off their mobile phones and demanded more money to proceed further. He also asked the duo not to make any further payment to the original agent in Mumbai.

When the duo refused, they were abducted and locked in the basement of a secluded house. As per India today, Dhruv was brutally assaulted, and the kidnappers threatened his family that if they did not pay ransom, they would remove and sell his kidneys.

Despite the families arranging Rs 65 lakh and paying half the amount through cryptocurrency, the kidnappers demanded more money.

Having done everything in their capacity to secure the release of the duo, the families then approached Anand MP Mitesh Patel, who in turn turned to S Jaishankar in New Delhi and sought urgent intervention.

The Indian embassy in Baku was alerted, and a rescue mission, codenamed 'Operation Mahisagar', was launched. Diplomatic pressure was also applied to the Azerbaijan government.

According to India Today, within 24 hours, Indian authorities located the youths and rescued them safely from the kidnappers. Currently, Dhruv and Deepika are under the protection of the Indian embassy in Azerbaijan. Legal formalities are underway to bring them back to India.

Speaking on the incident, MP Mitesh Patel called the case "deeply disturbing" and urged the youth not to fall prey to such "shortcuts".