A Haryana man paid Rs 35 lakh to agents and began his 'dunki' route journey to reach the USA, but despite passing through 11 countries in his six-month-long ordeal, he was nabbed as soon as he reached America and deported back to India this year, police said.
The man, Pankaj Rawat, a native of Panipat in Haryana, has lodged a complaint with the Gujarat police against the two agents, accusing them of human trafficking and cheating. Based on his complaint, the police have launched an investigation, a Surat crime branch official said on Tuesday.
The 'dunki' or 'donkey' route is a term largely used by traffickers to refer to a perilous multi-hop journey undertaken by illegal migrants to reach the western countries, especially the USA.
Rawat's 'dunki' route journey had started in August last year and ended in February this year when he reached America. But his 'American dream' got shattered as the authorities nabbed him and deported him back to India days later.
"As per their pre-planned conspiracy, the agents – Abdulla and Pradeep – sent the complainant abroad under the pretext of providing him work and accommodation in the USA, and illegally took Rs 35 lakh from him for the purpose," the FIR said.
The complainant had to go through 11 countries in South America, Central America and North America — Guyana, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Mexico — before entering the USA illegally through the Tecate border. But he was nabbed by the US police, and kept under detention for 15 days before being deported back to India on February 16, it said.
The FIR said that the agents and their handlers kept Rawant at different places in these countries, took him through dark and dangerous jungles, kept him hostage, took his mobile SIM and passport and threatened to kill him, thereby committing the crime of betrayal and fraud.
As per the details given by the victim to the police, he came in contact with Abdulla through an office located at Hojiwala industrial area in Surat. Abdulla convinced him to take him to the USA illegally through the 'donkey route' and provide him with work and accommodation in the USA.
Abdulla told the victim that he had sent several persons illegally to the USA and ensured that they got jobs as well as proper accommodation there. For the service, Abdulla charged him Rs 35 lakh.
Convinced, the victim collected Rs 20 lakh through his savings and took some loan for the purpose as well, and paid him the money at his office in January last year. Later, he paid the remaining Rs 15 lakh at a given place at Ashok Vihar in Delhi.
As directed by his agent, the victim boarded a flight to Guyana from Mumbai airport on August 6, 2024. He landed at Timari Airport in Guyana, and was asked to get in touch with another accused — Pradeep – through WhatsApp on a mobile number provided to him, the FIR said.
In Guyana, Abdulla's aide seized the complainant's passport and SIM and sent him to Brazil on a taxi through a route passing through a dangerous jungle. He said he stayed in Brazil for 10 days before being sent to Peru on a bus, and from Peru to Ecuador on a taxi.
"In Ecuador, Abdulla's aide kept him hostage for around 25 days, and from there he was sent to Colombia, where he was made to stay in a house in Monteria city for around four months," the FIR said.
After staying there for quite some time, Rawat asked the agent's helper about moving further, to which he offered one excuse after another. "Enraged at the excuses, the complainant demanded his money back, after which the agent's aide threatened to kill him and refused to return a single penny," it said.
After a nearly four-month-long stay, the victim was finally taken through a dangerous forest to Panama, and reached Panama city after eight days. There, he lived in the house of the agent's aide for some 10 days where he was assaulted time and again, before being sent to Costa Rica, and from there to Honduras on a bus. He was then sent to Nicaragua and then to Guatemala, where he stayed for 15 days, it said.
From Guatemala, he reached Mexico city where he was made to stay in a hotel for 15 days. From Mexico city, he was taken to Hermosillo in Mexico on a taxi and made to stay there for 15 days.
Thereafter, on February 1, 2025, he entered the USA through the Tecate border where the agent's handlers took all his possessions. As soon as he entered the US, the police nabbed him and kept him detained with other Indians for 15 days, before deporting him on the US Air Force aircraft and reached Amritsar airport on February 16.
Police inspector of Surat crime branch, T B Pandya said the FIR was registered at Panipat in Haryana from where complainant Rawat hails, and transferred to the Surat crime branch for investigation because he worked in the Gujarat city when he came in contact with the agents.
"He had contacted the agents in Surat and paid them the money after their discussion. He reached the USA through the routes decided by the agents," Pandya said, adding that after his deportation, the crime branch was in touch with him for investigation.
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