New Delhi: More than 100 passengers from Punjab have flown from Delhi to the US' doorstep, San Salvador, via Havana in last two months and many of them have not returned to India on scheduled dates.
The mystery does not end there. From San Salvador, these passengers - mostly from Chandigarh and Jalandhar - were suspected to have been transported to Mexico by sea, aviation sources told Mail Today, adding that a Punjab agent made arrangements for their travel.
Hinting at possible human trafficking and illegal immigration to the US, foreign affairs experts said it was time a probe was ordered into this. Illegal immigrants are the subject of fierce debate in the run-up to the 2016 US presidential elections, with Republican candidates like Donald Trump even proposing a wall along the Mexican border.
Foreign affairs expert Sushant Sareen told Mail Today that Mexico border has been used for trafficking people to the US for years. "India is already facing the allegation that a large number of its citizens illegally enter the US.This case needs to be investigated thoroughly by an appropriate agency," he said.
The San Salvador-Havana-Mexico route, according to Sareen, is circuitous. He said the route taken by these passengers is a dangerous one as a number of people are robbed of money and killed while trying to enter Mexico. "Not only Indians, but also those from other Asian countries have been killed for money several times. This route may be a new choice as relations between Cuba and the US have improved. Traffickers are cashing in on it," he said.
26/09/15 Ankur Sharma/India Today
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The mystery does not end there. From San Salvador, these passengers - mostly from Chandigarh and Jalandhar - were suspected to have been transported to Mexico by sea, aviation sources told Mail Today, adding that a Punjab agent made arrangements for their travel.
Hinting at possible human trafficking and illegal immigration to the US, foreign affairs experts said it was time a probe was ordered into this. Illegal immigrants are the subject of fierce debate in the run-up to the 2016 US presidential elections, with Republican candidates like Donald Trump even proposing a wall along the Mexican border.
Foreign affairs expert Sushant Sareen told Mail Today that Mexico border has been used for trafficking people to the US for years. "India is already facing the allegation that a large number of its citizens illegally enter the US.This case needs to be investigated thoroughly by an appropriate agency," he said.
The San Salvador-Havana-Mexico route, according to Sareen, is circuitous. He said the route taken by these passengers is a dangerous one as a number of people are robbed of money and killed while trying to enter Mexico. "Not only Indians, but also those from other Asian countries have been killed for money several times. This route may be a new choice as relations between Cuba and the US have improved. Traffickers are cashing in on it," he said.
26/09/15 Ankur Sharma/India Today
