Nicaragua flight row: Punjab fliers were given script in case they get caught, were told to say...
Nicaragua flight row: Weeks after a Nicaragua-bound plane carrying Indians was grounded in France and later returned to India on charges of human trafficking, the Gujarat Police Crime Investigation Department (CID) filed an FIR against 14 travel agents in connection with the case.
"An FIR was registered on January 10 based on that information by the CID against 14 accused, three from Delhi and the rest from Gujarat under section IPC 370, 201 and 120B. We are working on nabbing them," Gujarat CID Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Raj Kumar Pandian stated.
The ADGP stated that police interrogated over 66 passengers who flew from Gujarat to Dubai, then to Nicaragua and finally to the European Union.
"According to information from the last month, more than 66 passengers flew from Gujarat to Dubai, then to Nicaragua, and finally to the EU. Those who returned were interrogated by CID team officers. After analysing technical data and other evidence, we determined that there was a case of human trafficking," he stated.
Speaking about the human trafficking incident, Raj Kumar Pandian stated that the operation is centred in Delhi, with the majority of the travel agents hailing from Punjab.
"The human trafficking incident is centred in Delhi, and the majority of those involved, including the main agent, are from Punjab. For each flight, 300 passengers are required." Raj Kumar Pandian stated that after their booking is completed, they contact agents in Gujarat to fill their vacant slots.
"They ask how many passengers are willing to fly, and based on that, they send the passengers' passport information to Delhi agents, who provide them with the option of a Dubai-written visa. Once the visas are ready, the passengers are transported to Delhi or Lucknow, where they are flown to Dubai." He added that they are flown to Nicaragua on a chartered flight from Dubai.
The ADGP stated that if these illegal migrants are apprehended during the operation, they are given a script by travel agents and must persuade border control agents to grant them asylum
"If they are not caught in this illegal migration, they contact those who are based in the US. If they are caught, they are prepared with a script. For example, in Punjab, they are given a script to call themselves belonging to the Khalistan group so that they are given asylum. Those flying from Gujarat are asked to tell different stories depending on their age group, and communal and religious profile. If the agents, the border controlling people get convinced are convinced they are allowed to stay or they are sent back."
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