Two men face multiple charges, including human trafficking, in the deaths of four members of the same family who froze to death while trying to cross from Canada to the United States nearly a year ago, police in India said Monday.
The two were arrested on Sunday and other suspects are being sought in Canada and the US, said Deputy Commissioner Chaitanya Mandlik of the Ahmedabad crime branch in Gujarat state.
The two men are accused of acting as immigration agents, delivering documents to family members and helping them get to the U.S., he said in an interview, adding that they face charges of first degree murder, not murder, attempted murder murder, human trafficking and criminal conspiracy.
“We are in contact with the Canadian embassy,” Mandlik said. “We need some documents. We need official death certificates. We’re going to need a formal autopsy. We will try to extradite these two individuals (working in Canada).”
Jagdish Baldevbhai Patel, who was 39 years old, was found dead along with his wife and two children on January 19, 2022, near a border crossing between Manitoba and the United States.
Jagdish Baldevbhai Patel’s wife was 37-year-old Vaishaliben Jagdishkumar Patel. Their daughter Vihangi Jagdishkumar Patel was 11 years old and their son Dharmik Jagdishkumar Patel was three.
Mandlik said the investigation, which began after a tip about eight months ago, showed that people in Canada and the United States were coordinating with agents in India. Police used human intelligence and technical surveillance to gather evidence, he added.
The people arrested have others working for them who scout out potential immigrants and pass them on to so-called “lead agents,” who connect with other members of their network in Canada and then the U.S., Mandlik said.
“The agent arranges tickets, visa stays and transportation into Canada and (people helping them cross),” he said. “Sometimes the documents are fake. Every case is different.”
A person who wants to go to the U.S. contacts one of the agents, who starts the paperwork and tells the would-be immigrant to have their belongings ready by a certain date, he said. The prospective immigrant also receives a travel itinerary, he said.
“The person is handed a ticket and documents at the airport.”
In Pateli’s case, Mandlik said the family had traveled to Dubai from Gujarat. From there, they were taken to Toronto, Vancouver and then Manitoba, he said.
“Two agents were driving a car from Vancouver to Manitoba,” he said.
Mandlik added that Vancouver is the preferred place to cross the border because of the mild weather.
Manitoba RCMP said in a statement Monday that there is no evidence to suggest the Patels traveled to Vancouver.
“Our investigation to date indicates that the Patels arrived in Canada at Toronto Pearson International Airport on January 12, 2022. They arrived in Toronto on an international flight from Dubai, United Arab Emirates,” said Cpl. Julie Courchaine said in an email.
“The RCMP continues to work with international law enforcement partners to advance the investigation into the death of the Patel family near Emerson, Manitoba.”
Mandlik said it cost the Patels about $75,000 per person for the entire process, from India to the U.S., including arranging their visas, lodging, transportation, food and border crossings.
Crossing the border from Manitoba costs the family a total of $7,500, a cheaper option than the $11,000 it would cost to cross from Vancouver, Mandlik said.
The investigation so far has determined that the Patels arrived in Canada on visitor visas, he said.
“We are checking whether the visit visa was genuine, whether the documents and (related) certificates were genuine,” he said.
The other seven immigrants in the group the Patels were traveling with had student visas but not access to a college or university, he said.
At first, the Patels were hesitant to cross the border in the cold, but they wanted that “American dream” so much that they agreed to walk when they were told the stormy conditions were perfect cover to cross into the U.S. undetected, Mandlik said. .
“They were told that this was their best option and last chance to cross over to the US or else go back to India or stay in Canada,” he said of the instructions given to the family. “You must enter -35C to avoid arrest by Canadian or US security. Follow the lights of an American gas station because you will not find navigation available in the dark and extreme weather.”
Mandlik called the deaths of the children and parents heartbreaking.
“We want to investigate properly and just do justice to the bereaved family.”
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on January 16, 2023.
— with files from Steve Lambert in Winnipeg.
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