New Delhi, March 31 — The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested Gagandeep Singh, alias Goldie, for allegedly facilitating illegal immigration to the US via the ‘dunki’ route.
Goldie, a resident of Tilak Nagar in West Delhi, was reportedly paid ₹45 lakh by a man from Punjab’s Tarn Taran district for the illegal passage. The victim was sent to the US through the route in December 2024 but was deported by US authorities on February 15. Following his return, he filed a complaint against Goldie, identified as an unlicensed agent.
According to the NIA, Goldie sent the victim through a circuitous route via Spain, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico. During the journey, Goldie’s associates allegedly assaulted the victim and robbed him of the dollars he was carrying.
The case was initially registered by Punjab Police before the NIA took over on March 13.
The ‘dunki’ route, derived from the word “donkey,” refers to an illegal immigration pathway used to smuggle people into countries like the US without documentation, often with the help of human trafficking networks.
In a recent Lok Sabha session, Union Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh stated that 636 Indian nationals had been deported from the US between January 2025 and March 28.
