{
  "id": 10874121,
  "title": "‘U.S. donkey route’ case: ED probe reveals human traffickers used fake visas to send Indians abroad",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/u-s-donkey-route-case-ed-probe-reveals-human-traffickers-used-fake",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-30T06:12:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/us-donkey-route-case-human-traffickers-also-used-fake-visas/article69807543.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has uncovered evidence of human traffickers using fake visas and forged emigration stamps to send Indians abroad, as part of their probe into the \"U.S. donkey route\" case. The agency found manipulated visa records and other related papers during searches at 18 locations in Punjab and Haryana. The traffickers operated through a network of travel agents and middlemen, who provided false assurances to deportees that they were being sent on legal routes. These agents used international mobile numbers to communicate through encrypted channels, and payments were made using the \"hawala\" system.",
  "summary": "During the searches so far, the ED says it has seized forged emigration stamps of various foreign countries, visa templates, various other related papers, and digital devices",
  "key_points": [
    "ED uncovers fake visas and forged emigration stamps in probe",
    "Traffickers operated through network of travel agents and middlemen",
    "Payments made via hawala system"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The ED's findings expose a sophisticated network of human traffickers exploiting vulnerable Indians with fake promises of legal migration, highlighting the complexity of such crimes and the challenges in tracking them.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}