Indian Agents and Canadian Colleges Under Investigation for Illegal US Immigration Scheme

The Enforcement Directorate is probing a network facilitating illegal US entry via fraudulent Canadian college admissions, linked to money laundering and human trafficking.

• The ED is investigating over 8,500 financial transactions tied to a scheme where Indian agents facilitated illegal US entry through bogus Canadian college admissions.
• Around 370 individuals are confirmed to have entered the US illegally between 2021 and 2024 using this method, with suspicions that the number may be higher.
• The operation involved securing Canadian student visas, avoiding attendance at colleges, and attempting to cross into the US, with college fees later refunded to participants.
• The network includes 1,700 agents in Gujarat and 3,500 across India, with 800 actively involved, and is linked to over 262 Canadian colleges, some near the US border.
• The probe is connected to the tragic deaths of a four-member Indian family in 2022 during an illegal border crossing attempt in extreme cold conditions.

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