NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police have uncovered a sophisticated transnational “Donkey Route” network, exposing a large-scale illegal immigration racket involving Bangladeshi nationals. The investigation, initiated under FIR 658/2024 in Fatehpur Beri, revealed a coordinated operation with handlers in both Bangladesh and India. While the Bangladeshi handlers managed transportation across the border, their Indian counterparts facilitated the creation of forged documents to support the immigrants’ stay in the country. Authorities have also seized fake Aadhaar and PAN cards, Indian passport applications, and other fraudulent documents. Donkey routes are routes used by migrants to enter another country illegally.
The Delhi Police have uncovered donkey routes through Meghalaya and Assam used by two Bangladeshi nationals to enter India illegally. The racket relied on a complex network involving transportation, forged documents, and covert operations to facilitate illegal immigration. As part of the investigation, police arrested four individuals, including two Bangladeshi nationals and two Indians accused of aiding their entry and fabricating fake documents.
The arrested individuals include Aminur Islam (37), a resident of Assam’s Gwalpara district, and Ashish Mehra (23) from Gurugram, alongside Bangladeshi nationals Bilal Hosen (28) and his wife, who had been living in Rangpuri, Delhi, since 2022. Mehra was responsible for producing forged Aadhaar and PAN cards, while Islam handled the transportation of immigrants from border regions to Krishnai and New Bongaigaon railway stations in Assam. The illegal immigrants travelled via donkey routes, using jungle trails and express trains to cross into India.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Southern Range) Sanjay Kumar Jain stated that the arrests highlight a well-organized network enabling the illegal entry of Bangladeshi nationals into the country. The investigation revealed the extensive coordination between handlers to ensure the seamless movement and integration of immigrants.
The donkey route originated in Durgapur, Bangladesh, from where individuals were covertly transported to Baghmara, Meghalaya in India. The journey, conducted under the cover of darkness, involved crossing the border on foot, with support from traffickers using motorbikes and auto-rickshaws, including Anish Sheikh. From Baghmara, Aminur Islam facilitated the next phase, transporting the immigrants to Krishnai, Assam, via minibus over a distance of approximately 150 kilometers.
At Krishnai, the immigrants were directed along two possible routes: either taking a train to Kolkata or traveling by bus to Bongaigaon, followed by a train to Delhi. Upon arrival in Delhi, Sapna, the wife of Anish, played a pivotal role in welcoming the immigrants, arranging their accommodation, and providing forged identity documents such as Aadhaar cards to help them integrate undetected.
The donkey route network was operated by a group of key individuals. Anish Sheikh oversaw cross-border movements, while Aminur Islam organized transportation within India. Sapna played a crucial role in helping the immigrants settle in Delhi, arranging accommodation and support. Additionally, Ashish Mehra and Manmohan were responsible for producing forged documents. This well-organized network ensured a smooth transit process, providing the immigrants with new identities and housing to integrate into urban areas without detection.
The primary objective of the donkey route was to settle illegal immigrants in major cities by providing them with forged identities, allowing them to blend into society without attracting attention. Authorities are actively working to dismantle this network, uncover its infrastructure, and apprehend additional members involved. Efforts are also underway to rescue the victims, offering them necessary support and repatriation assistance. This case underscores the urgent need for enhanced cross-border collaboration and increased vigilance to combat human trafficking, which persistently exploits vulnerable individuals through well-organized and sophisticated networks.
According to Delhi Police officials, the illegal migration network operates across both the Bangladesh and India borders, with agents and facilitators on the Bangladesh side maintaining cross-border connections. The route followed by the couple is commonly used by many other immigrants. Earlier last week, Delhi Police apprehended around 30-40 immigrants residing in various slums throughout the national capital. This action is part of a two-month verification initiative launched by the Delhi Police to identify and deport illegal migrants, in response to the directive from Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena.