CBI books 5 for trying to take 11 boys from Punjab to US

One of the accused is a Jalandhar resident, CBI teams conducts searches at six locations — five in Delhi and one in Punjab

ONE OF THE ACCUSED WOMEN WAS SUPPOSED TO ESCORT BOYS TO US. SHE WAS SHOWN AS SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

NEW DELHI : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday said it busted a human trafficking racket in which a five-member gang was trying to take 11 teenage boys from Punjab to the United States (US) under the garb of an educational trip.

“A case has been registered against five persons in this regard,” said CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal.

Two of the five arrested accused are women.

The accused are being questioned. Following the registration of the case, CBI teams conducted searches at six locations five in Delhi and one in Punjab and included residential and official premises of the accused. Search operation led to the seizure of incriminating documents, the CBI said.

The agency said the accused persons submitted false and fabricated documents to the US Embassy for obtaining non-immigrant visa for these 11 boys and one of the accused women. All the teenage boys were allegedly shown as students of a school from Pathankot in Punjab.

None of the boys was enrolled in that school. Dayal said all the boys were brought from Punjab to New Delhi by the accused and were tutored to present themselves as school students at the time of their interview at the United States’ embassy but they failed to get visas.

One of the accused women was supposed to escort the group of boys to US. She was shown as the principal of the school.

The accused persons had allegedly taken lakhs of rupees from the families of the boys for sending them to the US. All the boys have been handed over to their parents, Dayal said.