Overview

• Enforcement Directorate officials arrested Bharatkumar Rambhai Patel, alias Bobby Patel, in Ahmedabad on July 3 as part of an anti–money laundering operation linked to human trafficking.
• The arrest stems from a 2015 FIR filed by Sola High Court Police Station accusing him of illegally sending Indian nationals abroad in exchange for high fees.
• Investigators say he used bogus documents and forged or duplicate passports to impersonate migrants and secure travel visas.
• Proceeds of the scheme are pegged at around ₹7 crore, with Patel allegedly charging ₹60–75 lakh per person, ₹1–1.25 crore per couple and up to ₹1.75 crore if children were involved.
• Patel faces multiple FIRs in Gujarat, Delhi and West Bengal as the ED prepares to expand its investigation into his alleged trafficking network.