New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized cash and precious metals worth ₹19.13 crore during fresh raids linked to a money laundering investigation into the illegal transportation of Indians to the United States through the so-called ‘dunki’ route, officials said on Friday.
The searches were conducted on Thursday at more than a dozen locations across Delhi, Punjab’s Jalandhar and Haryana’s Panipat as part of the ongoing probe. During the operation, the agency recovered ₹4.62 crore in cash, 313 kilograms of silver and 6 kilograms of gold bullion from the premises of a Delhi-based travel agent, officials said.
Investigators also seized mobile phones and electronic devices containing what were described as incriminating chats, which are now being examined. From the premises of a key suspect in Haryana, officials said they recovered documents and records related to the illegal ‘dunki’ business.
According to the ED, the travel agent allegedly took property documents from aspiring migrants as security to ensure payment of his commission for facilitating illegal entry into the US. The term ‘dunki’ or ‘donkey’ is commonly used to describe the long, risky and unlawful routes taken by migrants to enter foreign countries.
The federal agency had carried out the first round of searches in July and had recently attached assets worth ₹5 crore belonging to several travel agents suspected of being part of the racket. The investigation originates from multiple FIRs filed by the Punjab and Haryana Police following the deportation of 330 Indian nationals by the US government in February 2025. These individuals were flown back to India on military cargo aircraft after being found to be living illegally in the US.
The ED has alleged that agents involved in the racket cheated people by promising legal migration to the US while charging hefty sums. Instead, the migrants were routed through dangerous paths via South American countries and were eventually pushed across the US-Mexico border illegally.
During the journey, the migrants were allegedly subjected to torture, extortion and forced to engage in illegal activities, the agency has said. The ED claims the accused agents and their associates generated proceeds of crime under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act by exploiting vulnerable individuals.
The US has deported over 1,500 Indian nationals so far this year as part of its crackdown on illegal immigration.
