Post the tragic episode of the Patel family freezing to death on the Canadian-US border, the Indian police have begun a crackdown on the thriving illegal immigration racket. Thus far, six have been detained by the Gujarat police.
Hundreds of Indians, mostly from the western states of Punjab and Gujarat, attempt to cross the US-Canada border each year, braving harsh weather conditions in search of a better life and job opportunities in the West. Police in Gujarat said they identified the family, after law enforcement agencies on the border provided photographs of passports and other belongings.
On the other hand, US authorities have charged a US man with human trafficking after the four – a man, woman, a toddler and a teenager – were found dead in the Canadian province of Manitoba, a few yards north of the frontier with Minnesota.
The six detained by Gujarat police were running a travel and tourism company in the state, he added. “We are now trying to nab the kingpin who sent this family and others abroad via illegal channels,” said police official A.K. Jhala in the state capital, Gandhinagar.
According to investigation, a total of four families from the same village were to cross the border this month. Officials said they got separated from the group of 18 people and were probably caught in a blizzard, resulting in a tragedy described as “mind-blowing” by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The situation came to light only when the group was intercepted by authorities and one of them was found to be carrying a backpack with baby supplies, although there was no infant among them.
“The nexus of human trafficking runs deep, often involving local politicians too,” stated officer Jhala, adding that people even sell their land and homes to fund efforts to get to the United States or Canada.
A foreign ministry official in the Indian capital of New Delhi said authorities were coordinating with border officials in the United States and Canada to investigate the illegal immigration case.
