The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has recently filed a chargesheet against two individuals implicated in a significant human trafficking scheme, which facilitated illegal migration from India to the United States through a perilous method often referred to as the ‘dunki’ route.
The accused have been identified as Sunny from Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, and Shubham Sandhal from Peeragardhi, Delhi. Their arrests in July followed the apprehension of the alleged mastermind, Gagandeep Singh of Tilak Nagar, Delhi, three months earlier.
Gagandeep Singh is accused of defrauding aspiring migrants by promising legitimate U.S. visas for approximately ₹45 lakh per person. Instead, he would arrange their illegal passage through a chain of countries including Spain, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico. This elaborate network is believed to have illicitly sent over 100 individuals to the U.S.
The case, initially reported by the Punjab police in Tarn Taran, was taken over by the NIA on March 13, 2025. According to the NIA, Sunny played the role of a “donkar,” a term for a human trafficking conduit, specifically facilitating journeys along the ‘dunki’ route.
From 2021 to 2023, while based in Mexico, Sunny allegedly conspired with an individual named Goldy and others to orchestrate illegal border crossings and unlawfully detain victims. He managed to receive payments through both informal ‘hawala’ channels and traditional bank transfers. Even after his return to India in 2023, he reportedly continued to coordinate logistics, oversee hawala transactions, and directly send victims via this dangerous route.
Shubham Sandhal, a Delhi-based hawala agent, was instrumental in managing the illicit financial flows for the human trafficking syndicate led by Goldy and his associates. NIA investigations revealed that Sandhal collected funds from clients in India and then funneled them abroad using the hawala network, ensuring the smooth movement of illegal money across India, Mexico, and the U.S. as part of this large-scale immigration racket.
Complementing the NIA’s efforts, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is also investigating the money-laundering aspects across 17 similar cases. These cases were registered by the Punjab and Haryana police following the deportation of illegal immigrants from the U.S., prompting the ED to conduct multiple searches in both states.
Authorities allege that these agents preyed on individuals dreaming of settling abroad, enticing them with false promises of legal air travel for ₹45-50 lakh. However, these innocent individuals were instead forced onto illegal, dangerous overland and jungle routes, often under the coercion of “donkers” and organized crime syndicates. These trafficking rings allegedly created threatening scenarios for the victims and their families, extorting additional payments.