Six rescued from sinking boat during bid to enter US
GUJARAT POLICE have started an inquiry to trace the families of six young Indian nationals, believed to be natives of the state, who were last week arrested by the US border authorities during a failed attempt to be smuggled from Canada, an official said on Monday (9).
The six Indian nationals, all in the age group of 19 to 21, were apprehended from a sinking boat in the Saint Regis River in Akwesasne, US, close to the Canadian border.
‘We have learnt that those six Indians are natives of Mehsana district. But, we don't have any other information about them. Their families have also not contacted us for any help yet. We have launched an inquiry from our side and started an exercise to trace the families,' Mehsana District Superintendent of Police Achal Tyagi said.
The US Customs and Border Protection had earlier said seven individuals were apprehended in connection with a failed smuggling attempt early Thursday morning.
Six of them, citizens of India, were charged with Improper Entry by Alien in violation of the US law. These were identified by the US authorities as NA Patel, DH Patel, NE Patel, U Patel, S Patel and DA Patel.
The seventh person, a US citizen who managed to reach the shore by himself, was charged with Alien Smuggling.
Responding to an alert by the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service, the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police observed the vessel taking on water and sinking. Answering the call for assistance, Border Patrol agents and the HAVFD arrived on the scene to find the reported vessel almost entirely underwater.
In January this year, four people from Gujarat's Dingucha village, Jagdish Patel (39), his wife and their two children, froze to death while trying to cross over into the US on foot from Canada. The Gujarat police had then launched an inquiry against immigration agents, who were sending people illegally to the US from Canada border.