 "How 2 Indians taking ‘dunki’ route to US were kidnapped in Guatemala")
Two men from Haryana and Punjab, both in their 20s, who were attempting to immigrate to the US illegally via Central America, have allegedly been kidnapped in Guatemala.
The kidnappers are demanding US $20,000 in ransom.
The Haryana government has registered a case against the local travel agents.
The victims’ families have appealed to the Indian government for assistance in securing their sons’ release.
Here’s all we know about the incident.
The ‘Dunki’ route
Guatemala is a transit nation on the way to the United States, where the men were being transported by the illegal donkey route.
Yuvraj Singh, a resident of Mohna village in Haryana’s Kaithal district, left for the US in October of last year.
His father, Kuldeep Singh, claims that he arranged for a legitimate way to enter the US through an agent. The deal was confirmed for Rs 41 lakh, with an initial payment of Rs 2 lakh.
After obtaining Yuvraj’s passport, the agents promised the family that the remaining sum would only be needed after he arrived in the US. But thereafter, under a number of false pretences, the agents asked for an additional Rs 14 lakh in advance. Yuvraj was soon detained in Guatemala.
“I gave the passport of my son to these three agents including one from Kurukshetra, and the deal was done for Rs 41 lakh and he paid Rs 2 lakh in advance. They then said that the rest of the money they will take once he reached US. But while he was on the way, he took another Rs 14 lakh from me by making various issues and force. Then they took another Rs 8 lakh from me,” the father said, according to News18.
Yuvraj was initially in touch with the family, but after some days, he stopped making calls. The agents told the family that once Yuvraj arrived in America, they would be able to get in touch with him. They added that he was passing through areas where phone networks are unstable, such as dense forests, mountain trails, and sea routes.
In December 2024, the kidnappers sent a video of Yuvraj and another youth being tortured and threatened at gunpoint, Kuldeep said when he visited with Kaithal Superintendent of Police Rajesh Kalia to plead for his son’s safe release. The video shows the two young people pleading with their family for help while the kidnappers demand a $20,000 ransom.
He said, “These agents are hand in glove with the kidnappers. At times, they say the kidnappers are demanding US $20,000, then they say they demand US$40,000.”
The second man kidnapped hails from Dasuaya in the Hoshiarpur area of Punjab. In December, his family also got the video of the kidnapping and reached out to the agents, who have now disappeared.
For those uninitiated, the ‘dunki’ route is synonymous with hazardous and illegal migration opted by human traffickers which often leads hopeful migrants through dangerous territories in a desperate bid to enter Western countries, especially the US.
Also read: India may bring back 18,000 illegal immigrants in the US. What about the thousands of others?
Action taken
The Haryana police have registered an FIR at Pundri police station against the three travel agents involved in the case.
The accused agents are identified as Michael alias Neetu from Kurukshetra and Navjot and Devender of Dusain village in Kaithal district.
They have been charged with sections under the Immigration Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The agents are reportedly absconding, according to the police.
According to The Times of India, DSP Gurwinder Singh promised that higher authorities had been notified of the situation. He stated that serious action will be taken against those involved and that a probe is currently underway.
Also read: Rape, torture, death: How illegal Indian immigrants risk it all to reach the US
Similar case
On Tuesday, a similar case came to light when a Haryana native’s dream of settling in the US in the hope of a better future turned into a nightmare after 178 days.
Rawat, a native of Panipat, spent six months travelling 11 countries on the illegal ‘dunki’ route. He had paid Rs 35 lakh to the two agents for what he believed would be a smooth route to the US, only to be apprehended by the American authorities and sent back to India in February.
Rawat’s ordeal began in August 2024 and led him through Guyana, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Mexico before he finally entered the USA through the Tecate border.
He was later caught by the authorities and detained for 15 days before being deported to India.
In a formal complaint lodged with the Gujarat Police, the 36-year-old accused the agents of human trafficking and fraud.
According to police, Abdulla and Pradeep promised Rawat employment and accommodation in the USA in exchange for a hefty sum. They took him through a treacherous journey involving multiple countries, which ultimately ended in his deportation.
“Based on Rawat’s complaint, the police have launched an investigation,” a Surat crime branch official said on Tuesday.
With inputs from PTI
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