Gujarat traffickers use T20 World Cup to smuggle people into US | News from India

AHMEDABAD: Forget 'donkey flying' for now, say hello to bat, ball and kabootar baazi. The New York leg of the T20 World Cup is proving exciting not only for cricket fans but also for human traffickers from Gujarat, who are using the game as a means of smuggling people into the United States. United.

These smugglers facilitate their clients' entry into the United States by posing as cricket players. Customers are registered with local cricket clubs and participate in small tournaments in India to gain sponsorship from US-based clubs. This allows them to obtain six-month sports visas. Once in the United States, they disappear and live there illegally.

A source said Tuesday that this method replaced previous systems under which people entered the United States on an artist visa by posing as Bollywood or television actors. Due to stricter immigration rules, smugglers have started using cricket as a new strategy.

A man from Kalol used this ploy successfully. “I played cricket professionally at an academy in Gandhinagar, participated in leagues organized by a religious group here and was able to enter the United States to play in a cricket league,” he said. he declares. He and his brother have been living in the United States illegally for eight months.

Another case involved Monty Patel from Gandhinagar, who went missing after entering the United States last September. Similarly, Ashish Patel of Navsari succeeded after several failed attempts. He originally came to the United States seven years ago as part of a television crew, but had to return. After another failed attempt 3 years ago, he finally managed to enter the United States last year by posing as a cricketer for a tournament in New Jersey.

An Ahmedabad crime police officer acknowledged the trend, but said no legal action could be taken in India as the crimes take place on foreign soil. “No cases of this nature have been officially reported. But these are violating visa norms,” said Gujarat DGP Vikas Sahay.

This racket surfaced around five years ago, when people from Gujarat were sent to countries like Russia, where cricket was gaining popularity. About 18 months ago, traffickers began targeting the United States following the growing popularity of cricket, particularly in North Carolina and South Carolina, which have cricket clubs.