ED arrests Delhi agent in dunki route case

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ED arrests suspect in dunki route case

Highlights

The ED arrested Tarun Khosla under the PMLA on 23.10.2026, and the court remanded him to ED custody until 30.10.2026.
The investigation led to the attachment of assets worth 5.41 crore rupees on 15.12.2025 and the seizure of 4.62 crore rupees in cash, 5.9 kilograms of gold, and 313 kilograms of silver on 18-19.12.2025.
Between 2022-23 and 2024-25, 30.38 crore rupees was deposited into BJ International’s bank account through 414 cash-credit transactions, allegedly earned through the illegal route.

This article was translated from the original. Read the original version by our correspondent here.

Scope of the investigation and seizures

As the Enforcement Directorate stated, its Jalandhar Zonal Office arrested Tarun Khosla on 23.10.2026 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, and a special PMLA court remanded him to ED custody until 30.10.2026. The case concerns Indians who were sent back from the U.S. in February 2025 after illegally entering via the Mexican border.

The investigation began on the basis of various FIRs filed by the Punjab and Haryana police. According to the agency, prospective travelers were lured with promises of being sent to the U.S. through legal channels, but were allegedly put on the so-called dunki route, crossing the borders of several South and Central American countries via dangerous and illegal routes. They were charged around 30 lakh to 60 lakh rupees per person.

The ED said searches at 19 locations on 09.07.2025 and 11.07.2025 led to the recovery of incriminating documents, digital devices, and fake immigration and visa stamps related to Nicaragua and Ethiopia. Subsequently, on 15.12.2025, the agency provisionally attached movable and immovable assets worth approximately 5.41 crore rupees, including agricultural land, residential and commercial properties, and bank account balances.

Further searches conducted at several locations in Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi on 18.12.2025 and 19.12.2025 led to the seizure from premises linked to Tarun Khosla of 4.62 crore rupees in cash, approximately 5.9 kilograms of gold bars and coins, and around 313 kilograms of silver bars, with a total stated value of 19.14 crore rupees. More than 50 original passports, transaction diaries, property documents, and digital devices were also recovered from other premises.

Operating model and business impact

The investigation has identified Tarun Khosla as a key facilitator in the network, working with several agents across Punjab and Haryana. According to the agency, these agents collected passengers’ passports and money and handed them over to him in Delhi. He would then arrange visas and air tickets to South American transit countries such as Guyana, Suriname, Ecuador, and El Salvador, and coordinate the onward journey to the U.S. border via illegal routes.

The ED says chat records recovered from seized mobile phones indicate that he also worked as an immigration-clearance fixer. Alleged conversations with international contacts point to coordination at foreign airports, collecting money for immigration clearance, ticketing assistance, handling passengers, and payments in U.S. dollars. Instructions such as "OK to Board" and coordination with airline or immigration staff also suggest that he had operational control.

The agency also said his foreign contacts included "Mike" in Mexico, "Ali" in Brazil, and another contact in Mexico, "Kristi", who allegedly managed the movement of people through the dunki route and related payments. The investigation also found that 30.38 crore rupees was deposited into the bank account of his proprietorship firm, M/s BJ International, through 414 cash-credit transactions between financial years 2022-23 and 2024-25.

Based on the investigation so far, the agency views this operation as a well-organized illegal business that had been running for several years and generated large commissions by deceiving ordinary people. Further investigation is ongoing.

Our previous report provided an update on the ED's provisional attachment of 136.42 crore rupees in movable and immovable assets belonging to Ocean Seven Buildtech Private Limited (OSBPL) and related parties in an alleged money laundering case linked to real estate projects. The article also noted findings concerning the alleged misuse of funds collected from buyers, the failure to develop the projects, and the inclusion of certain land transfers in the attachment after FIRs were filed.

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