Gandhinagar: The Gujarat Crime Investigation Department (CID) has identified 15 agents after interrogating 66 passengers from the state who were on the Nicaragua-bound flight that was sent back mid-route from France. The state CID has initiated investigation into the alleged illegal immigration network that is suspected to be operating from the state.
ADGP Rajkumar Pandian of Gujarat CID told ETV Bharat that 66 passengers have been interrogated and their passports have been held up by the police. A ground-level investigation is underway wherein efforts are on to find out as to how and through whom the air tickets were booked by these people.
"We are trying to get information about all those who are involved in this racket. The issue is being investigated from all angles. Preliminary inquiry revealed that the agents had allegedly promised these people to provide jobs in US. They were taken from Ahmedabad to Dubai where they stayed for two days and then reached France through another agent. Now, all the agents involved in the process and the places where they stayed are being probed. Also, inquiry is on to identify the person through whom these people met the agents here," Pandian said.
Pandian said that these people planned to stay in Nicaragua and then go to US via Mexico. "The preliminary investigation has revealed that they wanted to enter the US illegally and work there. They could work only at night and were even given job offers," Pandian said. Salary provided to people who enter illegally is less compared to the employees there, he added.
Pandyan further said that it is suspected that the agencies were involved in providing cheap labour for US entities. Based on the information available from their passports, it has been found that most of these people are from Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Anand and Ahmedabad districts and have studied upto class 8 to 12. The agents gave them 1,000 to 3,000 dollars to meet their immediate expenses, he said.
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