200 Punjab fliers on Nicaragua flight were told to identify themselves as Khalistanis, seek asylum if caught at United States border

Ahmedabad, January 13

Weeks after a Nicaragua-bound plane carrying Indians was grounded in France and later sent to India over charges of human trafficking, Gujarat Police Crime Investigation Department (CID) has registered an FIR against 14 travel agents in connection with the case.

“An FIR was registered on January 10 based on that information by the CID against 14 accused, three from Delhi and the rest from Gujarat under Sections 370, 201 and 120-B of the IPC. We are working on nabbing them,” Gujarat CID Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Raj Kumar Pandian said.

Speaking about the modus operandi of the human trafficking incident, Pandian said the operation is Delhi-centric and most of the travel agents are from Punjab.

“The human trafficking incident is Delhi-centric and the majority of them are from Punjab, including their main agent. For every flight 300 passengers are required. After their booking is over, to fill up the vacant slots they contact agents in Gujarat,” Pandian said.

The ADGP said three flights had already operated in this manner before the Nicaragua-bound plane was grounded in France. They have collected details of WhatsApp calls and chats between the passengers and the travel agents.

“There were nearly 200 people from Punjab on that flight, while 66 were from Gujarat. We learnt that these trips are mainly for Punjabis. If some seats remain vacant on the flight after accommodating them, the Delhi agents ask Gujarat-based agents to arrange people who are ready to pay to enter the US illegally through their set-up,” the official said.

“The agents instructed the passengers from Punjab to identify themselves as Khalistanis and seek asylum in the US if the US police catch them at the border. The story will be different for other passengers. In the US, the government allows asylum seekers to work on humanitarian grounds,” he said, adding that no arrest has been made so far and a look-out circular will soon be issued against all 14 agents.