Probing 4,200 Indians for illegal immigration to US in past 3 years: ED
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New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said it has found more than 4,000 suspicious transactions related to taking Indians to Canada before bringing them to the US, The Indian Express reported.
The central agency’s revelations come in the midst of deporting of Indians from the US.
The agency is reportedly investigating at least 4,200 Indians suspected to have illegally immigrated to the US over the past three years.
Meanwhile, a probe is on against agents in Gujarat and Punjab who regularly send people to the US illegally.
Agents use the education route to take illegal immigrants to the US by giving them admission to Canadian colleges.
After getting Canadian visa and landing in the country, the ‘students’ would not join the college instead they were taken to the US via land routes.
The ED in its investigation report has said that ‘the payment of fees to colleges based in Canada was made through EbixCash, a Financial Service Company which provides foreign remittance services. Upon enquiries with EbixCash, it is gathered that around 8,500 transactions were made to various colleges based in Canada on behalf of students of Gujarat from 07.09.2021 to 09.08.2024’.
Of the 8,500 transactions, about 4,300 are duplicate individuals or users meaning the transaction was carried out twice on the same individual, according to the report.
‘Thus, in total 4,200 such transactions are under investigation. It is suspected that these transactions were made with the intention of sending the individual linked to each such transaction to the US via Canada,’ a senior ED official was quoted as saying.
Upon receiving commission ranging from Rs 40-50 lakh, the agents arrange for admission for ‘students’ to Canadian colleges, paying fees.
As they reach Canada, the admission to the colleges is withdrawn on some pretext and thus get the fees (range between Rs 60 lakh and Rs 1 crore) refunded without any effect on their visas.
The agents reportedly builds a complex structure of financial transactions for facilitating immigration, according to the report.
