Operation Dunki: Illegal immigration rackets busted in Punjab

India Today

India Today's Special Investigation team has uncovered illegal immigration rackets operating in Punjab. The expose reveals how agents offer services for study visas, work permits, and permanent residency applications through illegal means.

Transcript

00:00As plane loads of Indians deported by the United States arrive at the Amritsar airport

00:06in Punjab, the focus is back on dubious travel agents and human smugglers who are sending

00:12hordes of Indian citizens to foreign lands. India Today's special investigation team

00:17has exposed how this multi-million dollar racket operates out of major immigration hubs

00:22in the state of Punjab, where seamless services are offered from study visas to work permits

00:28to permanent residency applications. All of this being done completely illegally and

00:35for a hefty fee. Watch this special investigation by India Today's Nitin Jain.

00:46Chasing their dreams for a better, brighter future in a foreign land.

00:52Thousands of desperate Indian citizens risk dangerous, treacherous journeys.

01:02The aim is to settle down in the US, Canada, Australia or the UK.

01:11These illegal immigration routes entail physical risks and financial loss.

01:23In real life too, illegal immigration rackets are selling the same dream.

01:30At Krishna Enterprises in Jalandhar city, we met Sahil Verma and his business partner.

01:39We introduced ourselves as visitors from Gujarat,

01:44seeking assistance in sending our grown-up children abroad. After our interaction with Sahil,

01:52we later found that Krishna Enterprises is not even registered with the government

01:59to deal with visa and immigration matters. Sahil explained the different options available to us.

02:21He clarified that he could arrange for them to enter Europe, but not on a Schengen visa.

02:37Instead, he proposed the Serbia to Italy route using the donkey method via a taxi.

02:46We were worried about safety, but Sahil clarified

02:50that there were different types of donkey routes,

02:52and the cost depends on the mode of journey one chooses.

03:00Is this a jungle or a farm?

03:02No, it's not a jungle.

03:04What do you call a donkey?

03:06Donkey is one of a kind.

03:08The more money you spend, the more donkeys you get.

03:11Sahil even mentioned that though America was deporting illegal immigrants,

03:16he could still send people into the US through the donkey routes.

03:21Today, if you ask me to send a person from the US or India, I will do it by air.

03:29The money will be paid in two steps.

03:33We don't charge anything in advance.

03:35All our payments are done in two steps.

03:37You call it a donkey.

03:39A donkey costs 25 lakhs.

03:41If you call it a donkey,

03:43we charge 25 lakhs.

03:45If you call it a donkey,

03:47we charge 25 lakhs.

03:51To prove his credibility,

03:53Sahil showed us a recent video

03:55of people being smuggled

03:57using the donkey route.

04:01He claimed that two of his clients

04:03had successfully crossed over

04:05using this method.

04:17Sahil even admitted that his business partner

04:20had sent his own child

04:22via the donkey route

04:24to the US.

04:36Immigration consultants in Jalandhar

04:38also openly offer

04:40political asylum

04:42to those willing to pay.

04:45Our investigation

04:47led us

04:49to one such consultancy.

04:51The visa engineers.

04:55We met consultant Raman

04:57at the visa engineer's office

04:59in Jalandhar.

05:15We have a tourist visa.

05:17It is not valid.

05:19We apply for an asylum

05:21to avoid going back to India.

05:25Our man is there.

05:27He will get it done.

05:33Raman further advised

05:35that we would need to participate

05:37in political rallies

05:39and get photographs clicked

05:41as proof

05:44to strengthen our case

05:46for asylum.

05:49What do we have to show you?

05:53For asylum?

05:55Yes.

05:57We will tell you

05:59where to go

06:01and what to do.

06:03We will tell you

06:05where to go

06:07and what to do.

06:11Raman assured us

06:13that their lawyer would apply

06:15for political asylum

06:18with the documents provided.

06:22The initial embassy fee

06:24would be 1.85 lakhs

06:26and the full payment

06:28would be taken only

06:30after the visa was granted.

06:32If any document is missing,

06:34they would arrange it

06:36for an additional fee.

06:42The maximum charges

06:44would be for the messy visa.

06:47We will arrange for the visa.

07:01This investigation exposes

07:03the lucrative business

07:05of fake political asylum applications.

07:09Revealing how agents

07:11and legal intermediaries

07:13are manipulating the system

07:16to facilitate immigration

07:18to Canada

07:20under false pretext.

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