International human trafficking racket busted, 5 land in police net

Gaurav Kanthwal

Mohali, January 25

The police arrested five members of an international human trafficking racket involved in duping several residents of Punjab on the pretext of sending them abroad for jobs but kidnapping them midway and demanding ransom from their kin.

As many as 25 persons hailing from Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarkhand, and Uttar Pradesh have been rescued till now. The police have seized Rs 2.13 crore, 640-gm gold, seven mobile phones, and four vehicles from the suspects, who have been identified as Jalandhar native Baldish Kaur, Gurjit Singh, Hoshiarpur residents Sahil Bhatti, Som Raj, and Veena.

The police said the kingpins of the human trafficking gang are Hoshiarpur resident Sunny Kumar, currently residing in Indonesia and Jasvir Singh, alias Sanjay, who is in Singapore.

Modus operandi

The suspects used to lure youth on the pretext of sending them to the US through Mexico, Indonesia and Singapore. But once the victim reached there, they were kidnapped and they told us that they were beaten brutally and tortured over extortion money. — Dr Sandeep Garg, Mohali SSP

Mohali SSP Dr Sandeep Garg said, “The suspects used to lure the youths on the pretext of sending them to the US and Europe through Mexico, Indonesia and Singapore. The kin of the victim used to be entrapped as they would claim that the money would be taken only after the candidate reached US. But once the victim reached Bali, Singapore or Mexico, they used to kidnap them on gunpoint and extort money from their relatives. The victims told us that they were beaten brutally and tortured till the money was transferred to their account. The suspects are persons of Punjabi origin, living there.”

SP (Investigation) Amandeep Singh Brar and DSP (Investigation) Gursher Singh Sandhu said, “Two cases have been registered against the gang, at Kharar, on January 6 and Balongi, on January 3. The suspects have been booked under Sections 406, 420, 470, 386, 364, 370 of the IPC and the Punjab Travel Professions Regulation Act. A helpline has been launched to help the victims and kin trapped by this racket.” The police said Abhishek, Sonia, Malkiat Singh, Toni, Bhupinder Singh, Bhinda, Sandeep Arthiya and Suman are the other members involved in the racket.

Helpline launched

• SP (Investigation) Amandeep Singh Brar and DSP (Investigation) Gursher Singh Sandhu said, “A helpline has been launched to help the victims and kin trapped by this racket.”
• Two cases have been registered against the gang, at Kharar, on January 6 and Balongi, on January 3.
• “The suspects have been booked under Sections 406, 420, 470, 386, 364, 370 of the IPC and the Punjab Travel Professions Regulation Act,” the officials added.