In Punjab, US deportee shares how ‘ghost’ travel agents work: ‘Multiple names, WhatsApp calls, full payment before crossing border’

Without gathering him, seeing his picture, oregon knowing his address, Rakinder’s religion successful Sabu, a ‘ghost’ question agent, began to falter arsenic the information unfolded, spot by bit, during the treacherous journey, helium says. As much men joined Rakinder connected the way, helium says helium realised helium had been conned. “They were besides getting calls from their agents from the aforesaid WhatsApp fig arsenic mine. And past I realised that the antheral who introduced himself arsenic Sabu to maine was not conscionable Sabu. He was besides Raja, Lio and whatnot. This cause was utilizing aggregate names with antithetic radical and promising them harmless introduction to the US,” says Rakinder.

“Sabu ne'er met maine oregon adjacent enactment a show representation connected his WhatsApp. He would lone speech via WhatsApp calls from aggregate planetary numbers. He ne'er came to cod wealth himself but sent his middlemen. As the travel towards the US progressed, his men would cod wealth successful instalments from my household successful Punjab. He had men successful each state we passed. He took the full sum of Rs 45 lakh earlier we reached the border. His men besides confiscated our passports truthful that we could not instrumentality to India,” helium adds.

Rakinder, who presently stays successful Jalandhar, spent 12 years moving successful Australia wherever helium had gone connected a pupil visa. After returning to India successful 2020, helium thought of going to the US for “a amended future” for his 3 children.

Passports taken distant by middlemen successful Brazil

Rakinder says helium spent each his savings from Australia to accumulate Rs 45 lakh and took immoderate loans from household and friends for the US trip. But erstwhile they reached Brazil, their passports were taken distant by the agent’s middlemen, and ne'er returned, helium says. His travel from Amritsar to the US-Mexico borderline spanned six months, lone to extremity successful deportation.

“I spent my full savings connected this US trip. I took a formation from Amritsar to Dubai connected August 8 past year. After reaching Dubai, we went to South Africa wherever we landed successful Johannesburg. We were past taken to Brazil wherever we were fixed asylum for 11 days but aboriginal had to unrecorded successful a hotel. Our passports were taken distant successful Brazil by the middlemen connected the pretext that they needed them to get visas for the US approved. We ne'er got those passports back,” Rakinder told The Indian Express.

Travelling successful groups of four, Rakinder says they were joined by astatine slightest 500 much men successful Brazil who excessively were promised “legal introduction successful the US”. Once their passports were taken, the full travel up was via roads, oregon connected foot, arsenic they crossed respective countries, including dense Panama jungles, helium recounts.

“The cause would seldom talk directly. Mostly his men would telephone connected WhatsApp, sometimes from a Spain fig oregon Dubai. We past crossed Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama jungles, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala earlier yet reaching Mexico. We crossed the borderline by jumping implicit the obstruction utilizing a ladder. We were held connected January 15 and taken to a detention centre successful the US,” Rakinder adds.

Rakinder says that the middlemen lied that a vessel would instrumentality them crossed Panama jungles. “When we reached, determination was nary ship. Then they said we person to transverse it by walking connected foot. We had nary different option. There was conscionable a dense jungle, snakes and h2o around. Chadd ditta jungle vich jhooth bolke (They near america successful the jungle by lying),” helium says.

Surviving connected immoderate breadstuff and adust foods helium had carried along, Rakinder says: “In the jungle, we would locomotion successful the time and slumber successful tents during the nighttime but determination was ever a consciousness of fear. Our phones had stopped working. The cause said a vessel would beryllium waiting for america but it ne'er came.”

“The agent’s men would springiness america immoderate nutrient each fewer days but we would beryllium bare for 2-3 consecutive days. All that we utilized to get was a fistful of atom and rajma. We crossed 14 countries surviving connected minimal food. I did each this lone for my 3 children for whom I wanted a amended life,” says Rakinder.

“At the detention centre successful the US, determination were 32 rooms, each having 50-60 occupants from respective countries specified arsenic Peru, Pakistan, Nepal etc. When we tried to telephone the agent, his telephone was switched off. He ne'er contacted america again. Now adjacent arsenic I privation to record a constabulary ailment against him, I person nary impervious of his existent individuality – name, address, photograph – nothing. Even his middlemen ne'er revealed their identities to us,” says Rakinder.

“When we reached Guatemala, we were taken hostage by the agent’s middlemen who told america that we would not beryllium allowed to transverse the borderline till we paid the pending payment. My household past arranged the past instalment of Rs 20 lakh and gave it to his men successful Punjab. We ne'er got immoderate receipts for the wealth paid. Another antheral from Amritsar was kept hostage successful Ecuador till his household paid Rs 7 lakh,” helium adds.

‘Had hot, Indian nutrient aft six months; felt similar home’

“Yesterday erstwhile we landed astatine Amritsar airport, I had hot, Indian nutrient aft six months. I cried and it felt similar home,” says Rakinder. “Though our hands and feet were tied successful the plane, the US Army did not ill-treat america successful immoderate way. They were polite. There was nary misbehaviour,” says Rakinder. “I would counsel each Punjabi to ne'er effort this amerciable way. Now I bash not adjacent person my passport and person nary thought what lies ahead,” helium adds.