US-Canada border deaths: Gujarat wants trafficking probe

SOON after reports came out of a family of four from the western Indian state of Gujarat freezing to death while trying to cross the border between the US and Canada illegally a few days ago, the police in the state have asked its crime investigation department (CID) to separately investigate whether any illegal immigration racket was in play, a top official said on Monday (24).

While the case is being probed by authorities in the US and Canada, the anti-human trafficking unit (AHTU) of the CID – crime has been asked to unearth the network of agents active in Gujarat, the Press Trust of India reported director general of police Ashish Bhati as saying.

“As of now, the Gujarat police is not in the picture in the overall investigation. However, we have asked the anti-human trafficking unit to look into this issue. We know that a majority who migrate to other countries from here usually take the legal route. We will take action against agents if we find their involvement (in illegal immigration racket),” Bhatia said.

He said as of now it was not clear whether the deceased travelled to Canada illegally or after obtaining a legal tourist visa.

“Since the family of four have died, we do not know whether they travelled to Canada illegally or through legal tourist visa. The AHTU will also inquire into this aspect,” he said.

As per the reports, the deceased -- a couple and their two children -- belonged to Dingucha village under Kalol taluka in Gandhinagar district of Gujarat. They died from exposure to extreme cold weather along the US-Canada border in what the authorities of those countries believe was a failed crossing attempt during a freezing blizzard.

Indian missions in touch with Canadian authorities

Meanwhile, the PTI cited sources in the Indian government in New Delhi as saying that Indian missions are in touch with Canadian authorities for gathering the details of the tragedy and the post-mortem of the victims was likely to be carried out on Monday.

Officials in the US detained seven people without proper documentation besides one American citizen for allegedly being involved in human smuggling activity from Canada to the US, they said.

The government sources said that American authorities in the border state of Minnesota had on January 19 come across a group of people who were apparently without proper documentation.

Based on information obtained from them, Canadian authorities launched a search and found four bodies in Manitoba province on the Canadian side of the border, they said.

The people without proper documentation on the US side and the dead people on the Canadian side appear to be Indian nationals, the sources added.

However, further efforts were made to identify the deceased and confirm their nationalities, the sources said.

“US authorities have detained seven people without proper documentation, as well as one US citizen, for allegedly being involved in human smuggling activity from Canada to the US. One of them is still hospitalised due to cold-related injuries. Earlier one more person had been hospitalised,” a source said.

The consulate general of India in Toronto immediately sent a consular team to Manitoba, which is now liaising with local authorities to render any consular help regarding the four deceased, the sources said.

The consulate general as well as the high commission in Ottawa are also in touch with Canadian provincial and federal authorities for ascertaining details of this tragedy, they said.

On the US side, the consulate general of India in Chicago has urgently sent a consular team to Minneapolis, which is now coordinating and rendering consular assistance.

They have sought consular access to the detained persons, the sources said.

The consulate and the Embassy in Washington DC are also in touch with the US department of justice and the US Customs and Border Police.

A criminal complaint was filed on Thursday (20) in the US District Court for the District of Minnesota against 47-year-old American citizen Steve Shand, who has been charged with human smuggling.

The same day, the Manitoba Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the bodies of four people -- two adults, a teen and an infant -- were found on the Canadian side of the US/Canada border near the Emerson locality in south central Manitoba on Wednesday.