The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized cash and precious metals worth over ₹19 crore during fresh searches conducted as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation into an illegal human trafficking network that facilitated the clandestine movement of Indians to the United States through the notorious ‘dunki’ route.
According to officials, coordinated searches were carried out on Thursday at more than a dozen locations across Delhi, Punjab’s Jalandhar and Haryana’s Panipat. These operations targeted individuals and entities suspected of being involved in organising and financing illegal migration to the US.
During the raids, the ED recovered ₹4.62 crore in cash, along with 313 kilograms of silver and 6 kilograms of gold bullion, collectively valued at approximately ₹19.13 crore. The bulk of these assets were seized from the premises of a Delhi-based travel agent alleged to be a central figure in the racket.
Investigators also confiscated mobile phones, digital devices and documents during the searches. Preliminary scrutiny of these electronic devices has revealed several “incriminating” chats and data, which officials say provide insights into the operational details and financial transactions of the illegal network.
From the premises of a key suspect in Haryana, the agency recovered records and documents related to the ‘dunki’ business, including details of clients and payment arrangements. Officials alleged that the agent routinely retained property documents of aspiring migrants as collateral to secure payment of his commission, which was charged in hefty amounts.
The term “dunki” (also spelled donkey or dunkey) is commonly used to describe the long, arduous and dangerous journey undertaken by migrants attempting to enter foreign countries illegally through multiple transit nations and unauthorized border crossings.
This is not the first action by the ED in the case. The agency had conducted an earlier round of searches in July this year and subsequently attached assets worth about ₹5 crore belonging to certain travel agents and alleged operatives linked to the racket.
The money laundering probe originates from several FIRs registered by the Punjab and Haryana Police following the deportation of 330 Indian nationals by the United States in February 2025. These individuals were sent back to India aboard US military cargo aircraft after being found residing illegally on American soil.
As per the ED’s findings, the accused agents lured gullible individuals with promises of legal migration to the US, charging exorbitant fees. Instead, the migrants were routed through perilous pathways involving South American countries and were eventually pushed across the US border via Mexico.
The agency has stated that during these journeys, many migrants were subjected to severe hardship, physical abuse and extortion, and were often coerced into committing illegal acts to facilitate their passage.
The ED maintains that the agents and their associates generated “proceeds of crime” — as defined under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) — by systematically cheating aspirants and exploiting their desperation to migrate abroad.
