ED action against agents sending people to America through Donkey Route, property worth Rs 5.41 crore seized

New Delhi, 16 December. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Jalandhar Zone has provisionally attached movable and immovable properties worth approximately Rs 5.41 crore of three agents in connection with a major illegal immigration and human trafficking racket to the US via the infamous ‘Dinky’ route. A high-ranking official of the agency gave this information. The seized assets include agricultural lands, residential and business premises and bank accounts in the names of the accused agents and their family members.

The official said that this action has been taken against the properties derived from the proceeds of crime or equivalent to those obtained by agents named Shubham Sharma, Jagjit Singh and Surmukh Singh, who were sending people to the US illegally by misleading them by making false promises of legal migration. All three are residents of Haryana and were playing different roles in the ‘Dinky’ route network for a long time. The officer further said that they used to target the youth, seduce them and send them to other agents in their network.
In addition, he was particularly involved in securing air tickets to various countries and arranging visitor visas. Following the deportation of 330 Indian nationals who allegedly entered the US illegally by the US government in February 2025, the ED initiated an investigation into the illegal immigration and human trafficking racket based on multiple FIRs lodged by the Punjab and Haryana Police under various sections of the Indian Code of Justice (BNS), 2023 (erstwhile IPC, 1860) and the Immigration Act, 1983.

ED’s investigation revealed that the accused agents and their associates used to target innocent people by luring them to get legal entry into America and extorted huge amounts of money from them. However, instead of legal migration, they were transported through dangerous and illegal routes through several South American countries and ultimately forced to cross the US-Mexico border illegally. The ED said that during the journey the victims were subjected to torture, extortion, pressure and even forced to perform illegal acts. Large sums collected through such fraudulent activities are considered proceeds of crime under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

As part of the investigation, the ED conducted search operations at 19 locations in Punjab and Haryana on July 9 and 11 under the provisions of PMLA, which resulted in the recovery of incriminating documents and materials including fake immigration stamps, fake visa stamps, records and digital devices, further strengthening the case against the accused. The ED official said further investigation in the case is ongoing and as more evidence is being analyzed and financial transactions are unearthed, additional action may be taken.