230 Indians stranded in Sharjah on dunki route to US – Times of India

AHMEDABAD: A dangerous promise of illegal entry into the US has stranded 230 Indians – including 170 Gujaratis – in Sharjah in the UAE, reports Ashish Chauhan. The group, which also includes families, was promised a charter flight from Dubai to Brazil, reportedly a new route to reach the US. From Brazil, they would enter the US illegally by road through the Mexican border, a source aware of the development said.
“Currently, the stranded persons, including 60 people from Delhi and Punjab, are staying at Dana Hotel in Sharjah,” the source said. “Investigations have revealed the involvement of several officers identified as Sameer, Dhaval and Hasmukh from Dubai, the latter being the financier. Other officers named Paji and Thakur Saheb are also involved. An additional officer from Dubai, RK, is believed to be crucial in coordinating the operation,” the source added.
Another source in the know revealed, “Passengers arranged by illegal immigration agents from Kadi, Kalol and Ahmedabad would board the flight. The agents collected Rs 3 crore in advance to book the chartered flight, which was initially scheduled to depart from Dubai in December. 11. However, it was moved to December 20 due to concerns about the situation at the Mexico-US border.
The agents reportedly did not provide the passengers with flight itinerary details, but they assured that everyone would be sent to the US before President-elect Donald Trump takes office, the source said.