Punjab News : Police Arrest Haryana-Based Immigration Agent in US Deportation Probe

In a major breakthrough in the ongoing investigation into human trafficking, a special investigation team (SIT) of the Punjab Police has arrested a Haryana-based immigration agent, marking the first arrest in the case based on a complaint from a US deportee.

First Arrest in Human Trafficking Case

The accused, Anil Batra, a resident of Thanesar, Kurukshetra, was apprehended on Friday evening from his in-laws’ house in Patiala’s Partap Nagar. According to police officials, Batra had allegedly used fraudulent methods to send people to the United States under false promises.

On Saturday, Batra was produced before a local court, which sent him to three-day police custody for further investigation.

Second Batch of Deportees Arriving in Amritsar

This arrest comes a day before a second batch of 119 deportees, including 67 Punjabis, was set to arrive at Amritsar’s Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport.

The SIT was formed on February 7, just two days after a US military flight carrying 104 deportees, including 30 from Punjab, landed at the Amritsar airport. The team is led by Additional Director General of Police (NRI wing) Parveen Sinha, along with key members:

ADGP (Internal Security) Shive Verma

IGP (Provisioning) S Boopathi

DIG (Border Range) Satinder Singh

Widening Crackdown on Immigration Fraud

The Punjab Police have registered at least 10 FIRs against immigration agents following the February 5 deportation flight. Authorities have vowed to crack down on human trafficking networks operating across Punjab and Haryana, ensuring that fraudulent agents responsible for exploiting vulnerable individuals face legal action.

The case continues to unfold as investigators probe deeper into the illegal immigration racket, which has financially and emotionally devastated many deported individuals and their families.