AHMEDABAD: A perilous promise of illegal entry into the US has left 230 Indians – 170 of them Gujaratis – stranded at Sharjah in the UAE, reports Ashish Chauhan. The group, which includes families, was promised a chartered flight from Dubai to Brazil, allegedly a new route to reach the US. From Brazil, they were to enter the US illegally through Mexico border by road, said a source privy to the development.
“Currently, the stranded individuals, including 60 people from Delhi and Punjab, are staying at Dana Hotel in Sharjah,” said the source. “Investigations have unearthed involvement of several agents, identified as Sameer, Dhaval and Dubai-based Hasmukh, the latter being the financier. Other agents, referred to as Paji and Thakur Saheb, are also implicated. An additional Dubai-based agent, RK, is believed to be pivotal in coordinating the operation,” the source added.
Another source in the know revealed: “Passengers arranged by illegal immigration agents from Kadi, Kalol and Ahmedabad were to board the flight. The agents collected Rs 3 crore in advance to book the chartered flight, which was initially scheduled to depart from Dubai on Dec 11. However, it was rescheduled to Dec 20 due to concerns over the situation at the Mexico-US border.”
The agents allegedly did not provide passengers with flight route details, but they assured that everyone will be sent to the US before President-elect Donald Trump assumes office, said the source.
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