Nicaragua flight row: Gujarat police book 14 agents for human trafficking

In the Nicaragua-bound chartered flight people from Punjab were told to pretend they were Khalistani while Gujaratis were briefed to tell different stories to seek asylum.

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat police's CID (crime) on Friday said it has registered an FIR against 14 agents for human trafficking in connection with an attempt to enter the US illegally. 

The case is related to the Dubai-Nicaragua chartered flight with 303 Indian passengers which was forced to return from France on suspicion of human trafficking.

About 260 passengers were deported to India from Dubai. A majority of the passengers were from Punjab while CID (crime) traced all 66 passengers who were from different parts of Gujarat and recorded their statements. 

The police investigation has found that before getting caught this time in France, the agents had already sent three such chartered flights with illegal migrants from Gujarat and Punjab using Dubai, Nicaragua and Mexico route to the US. 

The passengers had genuine passports and had gone to Dubai on visit visas ranging from one month to three months. CID (crime) has also recovered tickets from Fujairah (UAE) to Managua (capital of Nicaragua) from the possession of most of the passengers.

From Managua, the flyers were to travel to Mexico and the United States through a journey which is said to be the world's deadliest land route. 
Their statements have revealed that agents based in Mehsana, Gandhinagar and Mumbai were in contact with them for the past five months and assured to send them to the United States and also arrange jobs at the Indian establishment there as labourers.

They were charging Rs 60 lakh to Rs 80 lakh from each individual. According to the FIR, accessed by DH, the human trafficking agents' had briefed the passengers that in case of getting caught by the US authorities on the Mexico-US border they were to pretend that they were seeking asylum. The FIR mentions that flyers from Punjab were told to say they were Khalistani while for Gujarati passengers, they were briefed to say different stories to seek asylum.

A source in the CID (crime) said that most of the Gujarati flyers pretend that they are from opposition parties who were being prosecuted in India. These human traffickers have a well established network of lawyers who help illegal migrants get asylum.  

Addressing a press conference, Additional Director General of Police, CID (crime), Rajkumar Pandian said that 14 persons have been booked under the charges of human trafficking (IPC 370), criminal conspiracy (IPC 120B) and destruction of evidence (IPC 201). 

The accused agents have been identified as Joginder alias Juggi Paji, Joginder Singh Manasram, Salim (Dubai), Raju Mumbai, Sam Paji, Chandresh Rashikbhai Patel, Sandip Jyantibhai Patel, Piyush Barot, Jayesh Patel, Kiran Jayantibhai Patel, Arpit alias Michal Jhala, Bhargav Rajendrabhai Darji, Raja Mumbai and Biren Girishbhai Patel.

The complainant in the case is CID (crime)'s detective police inspector P J Kharsan. The case is said to be the first instance of police registering an FIR against agents on charges of human trafficking as no individual has ever complained against the agents even after getting busted.  Between December 12 and 20, 2023 from Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Lucknow and whatsapped the passengers. The agents also booked hotels for two to three nights in Dubai for all the passengers and gave them $1000 to $3000 for expenses when they boarded the chartered plane, which were forced to return from France on suspicion of human trafficking.