USA 'dunky' route case: ED attaches Rs 5.41-cr properties of agents, their kin

ED's Jalandhar zonal office attached these properties derived out or equivalent to the Proceeds of Crime generated by various agents namely Shubham Sharma, Jagjit Singh and Surmukh Singh, who were involved in sending persons to USA illegally through the 'dunky' route.

https://x.com/dir_ed/status/2000561900611158140

"The attached properties include agricultural land, residential premises, business premises and bank accounts in the names of such agents and their family members," said the ED in a statement.

ED initiated an investigation on the basis of various First Information Reports registered by Punjab Police and Haryana Police under various sections of BNS 2023 (erstwhile IPC 1860) and Immigration Act, 1983 related to deportation of 330 Indian Nationals to India on military cargo planes in February 2025 by the USA government as those 330 persons entered USA illegally.

ED investigation revealed that "these 'agents' and their associates used to cheat gullible people by luring them under the pretext of sending them to the USA legally and charged hefty amounts for this." "However, subsequently they used to send people via dangerous routes through various South American countries and they were made to cross over into the USA illegally through the USA-Mexico border," said the agency.

"Throughout the way, people were tortured, extorted for even more money and made to commit illegal acts. These 'agents' and their associates generated proceeds of crime by cheating various persons on false pretexts and obtaining large sums from them."

Previously, ED conducted searches in this case on July 9, 2025 and July 11, 2025 at 19 locations under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, wherein incriminating documents and materials were found and recovered including bogus immigration stamp, bogus visa stamp, records and digital devices. (ANI)