Seven illegal Indian nationals arrested near US/Canada border to be deported
New York(PTI): Seven Indian nationals, who entered the US illegally and were arrested near the US/Canada border last week, will be deported to India after they were released from US Border Patrol's custody.
All seven migrants who illegally entered the United States last week were administratively processed for removal and/or placed into removal proceedings as per the Immigration and Nationality Act, according to a statement by the US Customs and Border Protection.
The statement added that six of the seven Indian nationals were placed under an Order of Supervision and one was released on an Order of Recognisance for humanitarian purposes.
All the migrants have been released from Border Patrol's custody and ordered to report to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement at a later date, the statement added.
The seven Indian nationals, reportedly from Gujarat, were apprehended last week by US authorities near the US/Canada border. Steve Shand, 47, has been charged with human smuggling.
Shand was arrested on January 19 less than one mile south of the US/Canadian border in a rural area between the official ports of entry located at Lancaster, Minnesota and Pembina, North Dakota.
He was driving a 15-passenger van and was transporting two Indian nationals, who were present in the US illegally.
While Shand and the two passengers were being transported to the Pembina Border Patrol Station in North Dakota, law enforcement encountered five additional Indian nationals approximately a quarter mile south of the Canadian border walking in the direction of where Shand was arrested. All seven Indians were then arrested by border authorities.
The five Indian nationals told authorities that they had walked across the border from Canada expecting to be picked up by someone.
The group said it had been walking around for over 11 hours. One of the group members was carrying a backpack that did not belong to him.
He told authorities that he was carrying the backpack for a family of four Indian nationals that had earlier walked with his group but had become separated during the night.
The backpack contained children's clothes, a diaper, toys, and some children's medication.
Later during the day on January 19, Canadian authorities found the bodies of the four Indian nationals near Emerson, Manitoba, approximately 12 metres from the Canada/US border.
The deceased family members have been identified as Jagdish Baldevbhai Patel, 39, Vaishaliben Jagdishkumar Patel, 37, Vihangi Jagdishkumar Patel, 11 and Dharmik Jagdishkumar Patel, 3.
Identities of the victims were confirmed by Canadian authorities and autopsies were completed on January 26.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Manitoba has confirmed that the cause of death was due to exposure, a statement from Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said Thursday.
The criminal complaint against Shand had added that two of the seven Indian nationals arrested sustained serious injuries.
A male adult and female adult were taken to the hospital for suspected frostbite. The male was later released from the hospital, but the female was life-flighted to a larger hospital and will likely require partial amputation of one hand from exposure to extreme cold weather conditions. The female also stopped breathing several times while being transported by Border Patrol, the complaint had said.
Authorities have said the weather in the area was severe, with high winds, blowing snow and temperatures well below sub zero. The area is also known by Border Patrol as a high incident area for human smuggling.
Shand is charged with one count of knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that an alien had come to, entered, or remained in the United States in violation of law, having transported, and moved or having attempted to transport and move such aliens.
The complaint said that all the seven nationals arrested spoke Gujarati, a language spoken in Gujarat in western India. Most had limited or no English language speaking ability.
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16 people arrested for drug peddling, contraband worth Rs 5.24 cr seized: Police
Bengaluru (PTI): Bengaluru City Police on Friday said 16 people, including two women were arrested allegedly for drug peddling and contraband worth Rs 5.24 crore have been seized.
The arrests were made by the Narcotics Wing of the Central Crime Branch, they said.
A total of 3,000 MDMA ecstasy pills (1.93 kg), 230 grams of MDMA crystal, 48.75 kg ganja, and 306 grams of hydro ganja have been seized, police said, adding that its estimated market value is Rs 5.24 crore.
During the operations, a total of 16 persons, including eight from other states and two women, were taken into custody on different dates, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said during a press conference here.
"During interrogation, the accused, including the two women , confessed that they were procuring banned narcotic substances such as MDMA ecstasy pills, MDMA crystal, ganja, and hydro ganja at lower prices from foreign nationals, persons from other states, and local unidentified suppliers, with the intention of earning easy money, and were selling them to the public, including college students," he said.
Efforts are ongoing to trace the foreign and out-of-state suppliers who were providing narcotic substances to the accused, police said, adding that further investigation is underway.
In a separate special drive, officers and staff of the CCB Narcotics Wing conducted operations in the limits of Bagalur, Whitefield, Parappana Agrahara, and Madanayakanahalli police stations against foreign nationals who were overstaying their visas and allegedly involved in drug peddling, police said.
"Nine foreign nationals were taken into custody. As per the orders of the FRRO (Foreigners Regional Registration Officer), the nine foreign nationals were sent to the Foreigners Detention Centre. Subsequently, two of them have been deported to their home country," he added.
