Chicago, US

US authorities have arrested an Indian-origin person in Chicago, a key suspect in a 2022 human trafficking case involving the death of four persons from the Indian state of Gujarat. Harshkumar Patel was taken into custody at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.

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The four individuals, hailing from one family, were found dead near the US-Canada border. The victims, Jagdish Patel (39), his wife Vaishali (37), and their two children -- Vihangi (11) and Dharmik (3), were from Dingucha, near Gujarat’s Gandhinagar.

Harshkumar Patel’s case is slated for hearing on Feb 28, with news broadcaster CBC reporting his trial might be transferred to Minnesota.

Charges against Harshkumar Patel

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Harshkumar has been charged with the criminal offence of "transportation of illegal alien and conspiracy to bring and attempt to bring an illegal alien to the United States".

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According to affidavits and complaints filed in the US District Court for the District of Minnesota related to the case, Patel operated an illegal human trafficking network “that facilitated illegal entry of Indian nationals into the United States.”

His communication with Steve Shand was also traced by the authorities, who was arrested on January 19, 2022, while driving a van transporting seven individuals, including the four victims from Gujarat's Dingucha, near the US border.

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Shand has been involved in a total of five similar cases between December 2021 and January 2022.

Racket originates from Gujarat

As per US authorities, text messages exchanged between Steve Shand and Harshkumar reveal that the intricate web of international human trafficking racket originates from Gujarat.

Before his arrest, US authorities had already identified other key suspects in the case, including Fenil Patel in Canada and Bittu Singh, also known as Paji, in the US.

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Court documents also reveal that Harshkumar used to provide Shand with routes and maps to drive illegal immigrants into the US. Shand’s hearing is scheduled to take place in March.

Harshkumar reportedly operated the racket under several aliases, including Harry Patel, Param Singh, Haresh Patel, Dirty Harry and Hareshkumar Singh Patel.

(With inputs from agencies)