Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Ahmedabad Zonal Office conducted searches under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002 on March 1st.2024 at 29 locations situated in Gujarat, Delhi and Maharashtra in the cases related to illegal immigration of Indian Nationals to foreign countries viz. USA, Canada. Notably the accused in this case are also allegedly responsible for causing death of a family of four in 2022 which was trying to illegally cross into USA but died after.
According to information shared by ED it had initiated investigation on the basis of three FIRs registered by Gujarat Police under various sections of IPC, 1860 and Prevention of Corruption Act against Bharatbhai alias Bobby Patel, Rajubhai Becharbhai Prajapati, Bhavesh Ashokbhai Patel & others. Charge-sheets have been filed in all the FIRs by Gujarat Police. The accused person(s) had been sending Indian Citizen abroad illegally since 2015 on the basis of bogus or fabricated documents for getting visa of different countries with duplicate or bogus passports used as genuine by impersonating the passengers wrongly.
Agency revealed that for this, they used to collect Rs. 60 to 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. The modus operandi in these cases revealed, so far, is that the desirous innocent individuals were lured by the accused persons to settle them abroad by issuance of fake/bogus visa/passports including student visas for which the accused persons charged huge amount. The individuals whose student visas were issued, never joined the institute. Further, various overseas education institutes are also suspected to be 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.
The searched premises included premises of accused persons, their associates, immigration consultants, auditors etc. During the search operations, various incriminating documents including property related documents, digital devices, various 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 suspected to have secreted the proceeds of crime. ED had earlier in relation to illegal human immigration conducted searches at 21 locations in Gujarat and Delhi on 19th January, January 20th, 1st February and 2nd February 2024.