The Enforcement Directorate (ED) announced on Tuesday that it is investigating the "involvement" of over 260 Canadian colleges and several Indian entities in a money laundering case connected to the trafficking of Indians across the Canada-US border. The probe is tied to the tragic deaths of a four-member Indian family from Dingucha village in Gujarat, who succumbed to extreme cold on January 19, 2022, while attempting an illegal border crossing.
Immigration consultant office at a market in Amritsar | REUTERS/FILE
The ED initiated the investigation based on an FIR filed by Ahmedabad Police against Bhavesh Ashokbhai Patel, identified as the primary accused, along with others. A complaint was subsequently registered under the criminal provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Patel and several others are accused of having “hatched a well-planned conspiracy to send people (Indians) to the USA through Canada via illegal channels thereby committing the offence of human trafficking,” it said.
How are Canadian colleges attracting Indian students?
The agency previously discovered that, as part of the racket, the accused facilitated admission into Canadian colleges and universities for individuals seeking to enter the US illegally.
A Canadian student visa was obtained for these individuals, but upon arriving in Canada, they bypassed enrollment at the college and unlawfully crossed the US-Canada border, according to a statement from the agency.
“In view of this, the fee received by colleges based in Canada was remitted back to the individuals’ account,” the ED alleged.
Students were charged ₹55 to ₹60 lakh per individual
According to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Indians were enticed into the scheme and charged between ₹55 lakh and ₹60 lakh per person. The agency conducted fresh searches related to the case on December 10 and December 19 at eight locations, including Mumbai, Nagpur, Gandhinagar, and Vadodara.
The ED revealed that two entities—one operating out of Mumbai and the other from Nagpur—had entered into an agreement to facilitate the admission of Indian students to foreign universities on a commission basis.
The recent searches uncovered that one entity referred approximately 25,000 students annually to various international colleges, while the other referred over 10,000 students each year.
Agents from India involved
Additionally, it is noted that approximately 1,700 agents or partners are based in Gujarat, while around 3,500 agents or partners of other entities operate across India, with roughly 800 of them being active. “It is further revealed that around 112 colleges based in Canada have entered into an agreement with one entity and more than 150 with another entity. Their involvement in the instant case is under investigation,” the ED said.
The agency suspects that a few of the 262 colleges in Canada, particularly those located near the Canada-US border, may be involved in trafficking Indian nationals. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) reported freezing bank deposits amounting to ₹19 lakh, seizing two vehicles, and confiscating several "incriminating" documents and digital devices as part of its investigation.
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