The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday, March 5, searched 29 locations in Gujarat, Delhi and Maharashtra in the human smuggling case. ED initiated an investigation on the basis of 03 FIRs registered by Gujarat Police under various sections of IPC, 1860 and the Prevention of Corruption Act against Bharatbhai, Bobby Patel, Rajubhai Becharbhai Prajapati, Bhavesh Ashokbhai Patel & others.
The searched premises included the premises of accused persons, their associates, immigration consultants, auditors, etc. During the search operations, various incriminating documents, including property-related documents, digital devices, different original passport(s), identity card(s) of unknown individuals, 02 luxury vehicles were seized. Bank accounts containing Rs. 50.10 Lakh of accused/suspects, their associates, relatives and their companies were frozen, which is suspected to have secreted the proceeds of the crime. ED had earlier about illegal human immigration conducted searches at 21 locations in Gujarat and Delhi on January 1 and January 20, 2024 and February 1 and 2.
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According to the chargesheet filed by the Gujarat state police, the accused persons had been sending Indian Citizens abroad illegally since 2015 based on bogus or fabricated documents for getting visas from different countries with duplicate or counterfeit passports used as genuine by impersonating the passengers wrongly. For this, they used to collect Rs 60to 75 Lakh from one passenger, Rs 1 to 1.25 Crore from a couple (husband & wife) and Rs 1.25 to 1.75 Crore if children were also accompanied, from the passengers desirous of going abroad.
Also Read | Illegal immigration matter: ED conducts searches across 22 locations in Delhi & Gujarat.
The modus operandi in these cases revealed, so far, is that the accused persons lured the desirous innocent individuals to settle them abroad by issuance of fake/bogus visa/passports including student visas for which the accused persons charged colossal amount. The individuals whose student visas were issued never joined the institute. Further, various overseas education institutes are also suspected of being involved in the case.
Further, the accused persons have also caused death of four persons on 19.01.2022, who were among 11 Indians sent illegally to USA from Canada and who died due to extreme cold weather conditions.