State Anti-Human Traffick unit to probe death of Gujarat family on US-Canada border

The Anti-Human Traffic Unit (AHTU) of CID-Crime will investigate the death of four members of a Gujarat family on the US-Canada border, a top official said here on Tuesday.

The four individuals died when their boat capsised in the St Lawrence River on the Quebec-New York border of Canada while attempting to cross into the US illegally.

The deceased have been identified as Pravin Chaudhary, his wife Daksha, son Meet and daughter Vidhi from Manekpur Kabhla village of Mehsana district.

A total of eight persons died in the incident -- four from Gujarat and as many Romanians with Canadian passports.

The incident marked the third of its kind in the past year after a family of four from Dingucha in Kalol district froze to death while crossing into the US from Canada.

Following the latest tragedy, the state administration has taken the matter seriously. A top CID crime official has stated that the inquiry into the latest incident has been handed over to the AHTU unit of the CID crime.

"We have reached out to Canadian authorities to obtain the visa and travel documents of the deceased in order to resolve this matter. Despite the family's insistence that they were unaware of Pravin Chaudhary and his family's plans to cross over into the US." the authories said.

Several teams of CID crime, local police, and Gujarat ATS have undertaken a massive operation to unravel the illegal immigration racket. The kingpin of the racket, Bobby Patel, has been arrested.

It has also come to light that before leaving for the US, Pravin Chaudhary was in contact with someone there, probably an employer. The incident sheds light on the issue of human smuggling and illegal immigration, which has plagued the region.

Reports suggest that local agents are involved in the racket, luring individuals with the dream of a better life in the US. The tragedy serves as a reminder of the risks involved in illegal immigration and the need to address the issue.