22 hours Ago
Surat: The crime branch of Surat city police has booked two agents for human trafficking and cheating based on a complaint filed by a man deported by the USA recently. The complaint was filed by Pankaj Ravat (40). Ravat gave the complaint to Panipat police in Haryana, which was transferred to Surat as the crime took place in Surat.
The DCB booked two agents, Abdul and Pradip, for criminal breach of trust, criminal intimidation, conspiracy, and trafficking, among other charges. According to the FIR, Ravat came in contact with Abdul in Hojiwala industrial area in Sachin in Jan 2024. Abdul claimed to have sent many people to the USA and offered Ravat an USA entry for Rs 35 lakh.
After sealing the deal, Ravat gave Rs 20 lakh as an advance to Abdul and also provided his passport number. After a few months, Abdul demanded the second instalment. Ravat went to Delhi to hand over the remaining Rs 15 lakh to Abdul in May 2024.
On Aug 6, 2024, Abdul sent Ravat to Guyana from Mumbai airport. Abdul gave Ravat the number of another agent, Pradip, and asked him to talk to him. Ravat met a ‘donker' at the airport who seized his SIM card and passport.
From there, Ravat was sent to Brazil via a dangerous jungle route. After that, the ‘donker' sent him to Peru by bus and from there to Ecuador by taxi. He was confined there for 25 days, after which he was sent to Colombia.
The ‘donker' confined him in a home in Monteria city for four months. When he talked to Abdul and Pradip to return his money, he was threatened with being killed there. After a few days, he was taken to Panama City via a jungle route.
Ravat stayed there for 10 days and was also beaten many times before he was sent to Costa Rica. From there, he was sent to Honduras, Nicaragua, and finally to Guatemala. Ravat stayed in Guatemala for 15 days before he was sent to a Mexico City hotel.
After a 15-day stay, he was sent to the Mexico-US border. On Feb 1, 2025, Ravat crossed Mexico's Tecate border to enter the USA. After entering the USA, the ‘donker' took all his belongings and SIM card.
Soon, Ravat was arrested by USA police and kept in jail with other infiltrators. Finally, he was sent to Amritsar in a military plane on Feb 16. After landing in India, Ravat went to Panipat police and filed a complaint.
The Haryana police transferred the complaint to Surat police, which finally booked Abdul and Pradip under IPC 370, 406, 420, 506, and 120B. Inspector Tushar Pandya of SOG is entrusted with the probe. "The cictim was working in Surat when the incident took place.
We have called him for further investigation. He now lives in Haryana," Pandya said. |.
