New Delhi, Oct 27 (SocialNews.XYZ) The ED arrested a Delhi-based ticketing agent involved in money laundering linked to US-deported Indians who crossed the borders of several South/Central American countries illegally through dangerous routes with the help of local donkers and the mafia, also known as the “Dunkey Route Case”, an official said.
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Jalandhar Zonal Office, arrested ticketing agent Tarun Khosla on October 23 under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, the official said in a statement.
The action was taken in the "Dunkey Route Case” relating to Indians deported from the US in February 2025.
Khosla has been sent to ED custody till October 30 at a Special PMLA Court, the statement said.
Investigation has revealed that Khosla was a key facilitator of the Dunkey Route network. He has been involved with multiple agents from Punjab and Haryana who used to collect passports and money from the persons wishing to go to the US and handed them over to him in Delhi, the ED said.
He then arranged visas and air tickets to transit countries in South America such as Guyana, Suriname, Ecuador and El Salvador, and further facilitated movement of such persons towards the US border using illegal and dangerous routes, the ED said.
He was a key decision-maker on routes and pricing for each person travelling through the "Dunkey Route", he said.
The ED investigation was initiated based on various FIRs registered by Punjab Police and Haryana Police under various sections of BNS, 2023 (erstwhile IPC, 1860), the Emigration Act, 1983 and after more than 300 Indian nationals were deported from the US for illegally entering the country through the Mexico border.
The ED probe revealed that persons wishing to go to the US were induced by agents and middlemen on the false promise of sending them through legal channels, and were instead sent through the “Dunkey route” on payment of Rs 30 lakh to Rs 60 lakh.
Earlier, searches were conducted in this case on July 9, 2025 and July 11, 2025 at 19 locations wherein incriminating documents, records and digital devices and materials were found and recovered, including bogus immigration stamp and bogus visa stamp about Nicaragua and Ethiopia, the ED said.
On December 15, the ED had provisionally attached movable and immovable properties worth Rs 5.41 crore, including agricultural land, residential premises, business premises and bank account balances, derived out/equivalent to the Proceeds of Crime generated by various agents who were involved in sending persons to the US illegally.
Subsequently, the ED had carried out searches at multiple locations across Punjab, Haryana and Delhi on December 18, 2025 and December 19, 2025, during which cash of Rs 4.62 crore, gold bars and coins weighing about 5.9 kg and silver bars weighing about 313 kg (total values amounting to Rs 19.14 crore), besides incriminating documents and digital devices, were seized from the premises of said Tarun Khosla.
In addition, over 50 original passports of third parties, diaries, records of transactions, property documents and digital devices were also recovered from other premises, said the ED.
Investigation has revealed that Khosla was a key player in the Dunkey Route network. Data retrieved from his mobile phones revealed his incriminating chats indicating that he acted as an “immigration-clearance fixer”, said the ED.
His chats with an international contact reveal on-ground coordination at foreign airports, including collection of money for immigration clearance, facilitation of tickets, handling of passengers, and payments in dollars, it said.
“Instructions such as ‘OK to Board’ endorsements and coordination with airline/immigration personnel further established his operational control over transit arrangements,” the ED said.
The investigation revealed that Khosla used to make arrangements for sending persons to the US through the illegal Dunkey Route.
He arranged VISA clearance for South American countries, arranging fake/forged yellow fever vaccination certificates, booking tickets, and handling the donkers.
He had chats with foreign donkers such as "Mike" in Mexico, "Ali" in Brazil and another contact in Mexico "Kristi", who used to manage donkers in respect of crossing of persons through the Dunkey Route and related payments, the ED said.
Cash deposits to the tune of Rs 30.38 crore through 414 cash-credit transactions were found during FY 2022-23 to FY 2024-25 in the bank account of his proprietorship firm BJ International, the ED said.
Source: IANS
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