Identify as 'Khalistani': Agents tell Punjabis on Nicaragua-bound donkey flight to enter US illegally

Gujarat, India

Another revelation has emerged surrounding the recent grounding of a Nicaragua-bound plane in France, involving passengers from India, including from the states of Punjab and Gujarat. The Gujarat Police while booking 14 agents accused of trafficking, said that the agents advised passengers from Punjab to identify themselves as "Khalistani" and seek asylum in the US in case they are nabbed by the US police at the border while crossing it illegally.

For people other than Punjabis onboard the donkey flight, a different story was concocted by the agents to facilitate illegal immigration to the United States through the Mexico border, as per the police authorities.

“The agents instructed the passengers from Punjab to identify themselves as Khalistani and seek asylum in the US if the US police catch them at the border. The story will be different for other passengers. In the US, the government allows asylum seekers to work on humanitarian grounds,” Additional Director General of Police, CID (Crime and Railways), SP Rajkumar reportedly said. 

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This comes as a Nicaragua-bound aircraft carrying 260 Indians was grounded in France for four days over suspected human trafficking in December 2023. As per reports, nearly 200 were from Punjab and 66 from Gujarat.

Gujarat CID (Crime and Railway) has been interrogating passengers from Gujarat. It was revealed by SP Rajkumar that these trips primarily targeted Punjabis.

In case seats remained vacant after accommodating them, Delhi-based agents instructed Gujarat-based agents to arrange for individuals who could pay for illegal entry into the US, the officer continued. 

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While no arrests have been made in the case, a lookout circular will be issued against the 14 accused agents.

The individuals named in the FIR registered in the matter hail from Gujarat, Delhi, Mumbai, and Dubai. Charges include human trafficking under IPC section 370, destroying evidence (section 201), and criminal conspiracy (section 120-B).

“Based on the statements of passengers from Gujarat, we have identified and booked 14 agents for human trafficking. Since they had forced the passengers to delete audio files and other trip-related contents from the mobile phones, we have also added section 201,” Rajkumar reportedly said. 

Prior to the grounding of the flight in France, these agents had already sent numerous people to Nicaragua on three separate trips in December alone.

Modus operandi 

The modus operandi involved passengers arriving in Dubai on valid tourist visas from Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and Delhi between December 10 and 20. Following the agents' instructions, they boarded the private Nicaragua-bound aircraft from the Fujairah International Airport on December 21.

(With inputs from agencies)