Cops free Guj family from traffickers' clutches
2
Kolkata: A Gujarati couple and their two minor children were rescued by Rabindra Sarobar cops on Wednesday after the family was forcibly held in Kolkata hotels by a gang who had promised to arrange Canadian immigration for them.
The family had paid Rs 10 lakh to the fraudsters. They were brought to Kolkata on a promise that they would fly to Canada via Bangkok. But in Kolkata, they were held in hotels, including some on VIP Road, Rabindra Sarobar, and Kalyani Road, and asked to shell out another Rs 15 lakh.
Yogesh Kumar Dabhi (33), his wife Kajalben, and their daughters aged 5 and 7, were targeted by a trafficking gang operating from Kerala and Ludhiana.
The gang, running under the name 'Abroad Dreams Immigration', is headed by Abhilash Nayek, cops said.
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The family was initially brought to a hotel near Kolkata airport before being shifted to Hotel Victerrace on Lake Terrace Road on June 26. When the gang demanded Rs 15 lakh for passports and visa, they refused and sought proof. They were then moved to a hideout near Kalyani Road.
The family then contacted Vishal Patel Rajinikanth, a neighbour in Gujarat's Kadi district, on the pretext of arranging money.
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Rajnikanth filed a complaint at Rabindra Sarobar police station after losing contact with the family. Police immediately lodged an FIR.
"We received suspicious WhatsApp photos and a call from Yogesh saying they were safely leaving, but the immigration office couldn't confirm their departure," Rajinikanth told cops. The gang, realising they wouldn't get the money, abandoned the family near Kolkata airport. The victims contacted their neighbour, leading to their rescue.
Cops have started a search to nab the gang members, particularly Nayek. Cops suspect this could be part of a larger trafficking network operating across states. Cops have also urged citizens to verify immigration agencies' credentials through proper channels before making payments.
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