The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has intensified its crackdown on illegal immigration networks by provisionally attaching movable and immovable assets worth ₹5.41 crore linked to agents accused of sending Indians to the United States through the notorious “Dunki route.”

The action has been taken by the ED’s Jalandhar Zonal Office against alleged immigration agents Shubham Sharma, Jagjit Singh and Surmukh Singh, along with their associates. According to the agency, the attached properties represent proceeds of crime generated through large-scale cheating and illegal human trafficking.

The attached assets include agricultural land, residential houses, commercial properties and bank balances held in the names of the accused agents and their family members.

ED officials said the investigation revealed that the agents targeted unsuspecting individuals by promising legal entry into the United States. Victims were allegedly charged hefty sums on the pretext of arranging valid work visas. However, instead of legal travel, they were reportedly routed through multiple South American countries and then pushed across the US–Mexico border illegally via extremely dangerous and exploitative routes.

The agency further stated that many victims were subjected to severe physical and mental abuse during the journey. In several cases, additional money was extorted mid-route, and some individuals were allegedly forced into unlawful activities to fund their onward travel.

The money laundering probe was initiated on the basis of multiple FIRs registered by Punjab and Haryana Police under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and the Immigration Act, 1983.

The case came into sharper focus in February 2025, when the US government deported around 330 Indian nationals using military cargo aircraft after determining that they had entered the country illegally.

As part of the ongoing investigation, the ED had earlier conducted coordinated search operations on July 9 and July 11, 2025, at 19 locations linked to the accused. These raids led to the recovery of fake immigration stamps, forged visa stamps, incriminating documents and multiple digital devices.

The ED maintains that the accused agents built a well organised network to exploit vulnerable job seekers, earning substantial illegal profits through deception and abuse of immigration systems.

Officials confirmed that further investigation is underway to trace additional assets, identify other accomplices and uncover the full scale of the operation.