Probing role of Canadian colleges, entities in human trafficking racket: ED

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday said it is investigating the "involvement" of some Canadian colleges and few Indian entities in a money laundering case linked to trafficking of Indians into the US from the borders of Canada.

The investigation of the federal agency is linked to the death of a four-member Indian family, hailing from Dingucha village of Gujarat, who were killed due to extreme cold weather while trying to illegally cross the Canada-US border on January 19, 2022.

The ED took cognisance of an Ahmedabad Police FIR against main accused Bhavesh Ashokbhai Patel and some others to file its complaint under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Patel and others are alleged to have "hatched a well-planned conspiracy to send people (Indians) to the USA through Canada via illegal channels there by committing the offence of human trafficking".

The agency's probe had earlier found that as part of this human trafficking racket, the accused "arranged" admission for people, desirous to go to the US illegally, in colleges and universities based in Canada.

A student visa of Canada was applied for such people and once they reached that country, instead of joining the college, they "illegally" crossed the US-Canada border and never joined the Canadian college, the agency said in a statement.

"In view of this, the fee received by colleges based in Canada was remitted back to the individuals' account," the ED alleged.

Innocent Indians were "lured" for this illegal entry into the US racket and charged between Rs 55 and Rs 60 lakh per person, according to the ED.

The federal probe agency said it undertook fresh searches in this case on December 10 and December 19 at eight locations in Mumbai, Nagpur, Gandhinagar and Vadodara.

It was found, the ED said, two "entities", one based in Mumbai and the other in Nagpur, entered into an "agreement" for admission of Indians in universities based in foreign countries on commission basis.

The agency said the latest searches found that about 25,000 students are being referred by one entity and more than 10,000 students by the other to various colleges based outside India every year.

"Further, it is gathered that there are around 1,700 agents/partners based in Gujarat and around 3,500 agents/partners of other entity all over India and out of which around 800 are active. It is further revealed that around 112 colleges based in Canada have entered into agreement with one entity and more than 150 with another entity. Their involvement in the instant case is under investigation," the ED said.

It is suspected by the agency that out of the total 262 such colleges in Canada, a few, which are geographically located near the Canada-US border, are allegedly involved in this trafficking racket of Indian nationals.