The land of Punjab and Haryana, where the fragrance of the soil rises from the fields, and the dreams of the people there often go abroad. The shining roads of America or Canada, big houses and the glitter of dollars have made a home in the minds of many. But these dreams sometimes take us to such paths, where instead of safety, there is danger and instead of happiness, only sorrow. This tragic story is of those gullible people who lose their life’s capital under the guise of the ‘donkey route’. Travel agents of Punjab-Haryana showed the gullible people dreams of settling in America or Canada, and pushed them on the dangerous wild paths of the ‘donkey route’. In July 2025, the ED launched a major operation to nab these agents. On July 9, 2025, ED teams from the Jalandhar zonal office conducted raids at 11 locations in Amritsar, Sangrur, Patiala, Moga, Tarn Taran in Punjab and Ambala, Kurukshetra and Karnal in Haryana. The ED was targeting the houses and offices of agents involved in the money laundering game. In Moga, ED teams also reached the house of Sukhwinder Singh, state president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Totewal). Similarly, an investigation was also conducted at the house of a leader associated with the Aam Aadmi Party in Chohla Sahib, Tarn Taran. These raids were carried out on the basis of 17 FIRs, which were registered against these agents by the Punjab and Haryana police. These agents used to promise to take people to the US by plane ‘legally’ for Rs 40 to 50 lakhs, but in reality they used to send them on the ‘donkey route’ through forests, rivers and dangerous roads.
How many raids and arrests were made in 2024-2025?
The ED conducted several raids in the late 2024 to early 2025 months. On February 25, 2025, raids were conducted at five locations in Ludhiana and Chandigarh, where the ED seized Rs 19 lakh in cash, digital devices and important documents. On July 9, 2025, another major operation was carried out at 11 locations, which we have already mentioned. Talking about the arrests, apart from the ED raids, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) also conducted raids in this case. In March 2025, the NIA arrested Gagandeep Singh, who had sent more than 100 people to the US through the ‘donkey route’. In July 2025, the NIA arrested two more accused—Sunny (alias Sunny Donkar) and Shubham Sandhal (alias Deep Hundi)—from Himachal Pradesh and Delhi. The arrests of many accused in the ED raids have not yet been confirmed, but officials have clarified that the investigation is ongoing and more arrests may be made soon.
Indian government’s strictness
The Indian government has taken a strict stance on this human trafficking racket. The ED has started an investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), as these agents not only cheated people, but also hid their earnings through money laundering. These agents looted people’s pockets by making fake visas, fake certificates and fake experience letters. The ED investigation found that these agents, in collaboration with local goons and mafia, used to threaten the families of the victims so that they would be forced to pay more money. The government’s strictness is also evidenced by the fact that the ED tried to reach the roots of this network by recording the statements of those who returned after being deported.
US Deportation Policy: The End of Dreams
In the US, the Donald Trump government started strict action against illegal immigrants. In February 2025, the US deported more than 380 Indians, who were trying to cross the US-Mexico border through the ‘donkey route’, back to India. Of these, 131 were from Punjab alone, who landed back at Amritsar airport in handcuffs on American military planes. These people were arrested by the US Border Security Force between January 23 and 28, 2025. All of them were those who had dreamed of getting ‘legal’ US visas from agents by paying Rs 45-50 lakhs, but they were forced to take dangerous routes through the jungles.
Darien Gap: The Jungle of Death
The biggest problem of the ‘Donkey Route’ is the Darien Gap. It is a 97-km jungle on the border of Colombia and Panama, where death is a constant threat. This jungle is not only filled with dense bushes, fast rivers and high and low mountains, but poisonous snakes, wild animals and diseases are also the enemies of the lives of migrants. In 2023, more than 5 lakh migrants crossed this jungle, among which thousands were Indians. But the journey is fraught with dangers. Cartels, armed gangs and smugglers rob migrants, threaten them and sexually assault women. In December 2023, Doctors Without Borders treated 214 victims of sexual violence, seven times more than usual. Panama’s new president, José Raúl Molina, said in December 2024 that 55 migrants had died in the jungle and 180 children had been abandoned. The journey is so dangerous that YouTuber Bald and Bankrupt described it as the most dangerous experience of his life.
Where even death swallows dreams
The ‘Donkey Route’ passes through countries such as Spain, El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico, where migrants have to travel on foot, by boat or in freight cars. During this journey, one has to face not only hunger and thirst, but also robberies, mafia and diseases. Many migrants are robbed on the way, and many lose their lives. In 2024, more than 30,000 children crossed this route between January and April, which is 40% more than the previous year.
This journey is especially difficult for the elderly, children and women, who have to carry heavy luggage and go through the forests. The youth of Punjab and Haryana, who sell their houses and properties in the hope of betterment of their families and give Rs 50 lakh each to agents, often return empty-handed. Agencies like ED and NIA have now lost their hands after chasing these agents. America is also leaving no stone unturned in sending back illegal immigrants. The Panama government has also deployed 1200 security personnel in the Darien Gap, but the solution to this problem is not the responsibility of one country alone. All countries need to come together and stop smuggling on this route.
The raids of the ED, the arrests of the NIA and the strictness of the government are proof that now every effort is being made to end this racket. But the biggest question is – how can we protect our youth from such dream sellers? Can we give them hope for a better life in our own country? Until these questions are answered, forests like the Darien Gap will continue to swallow dreams, and the tragic tales of the ‘Donkey Route’ will continue to haunt our hearts.
