https://www.yahoo.com/news/punjab-indian-american-dream-ended-010242904.html
BBC
Punjab: The Indian 'American dream' which ended in a scam in Bali
Sarbjit Dhaliwal - BBC Punjabi
Sat, April 15, 2023 at 6:02 PM PDT
Like millions of others in India, Sukhjinder always dreamt of migrating to the US in search of a better life.
Now he shudders at the very idea.
"I have chills down my spine when I hear someone talk about going abroad. That one decision ruined everything for me," said the 35-year-old, who goes by only one name.
A resident of Tarn Taran, a small town in Punjab, Mr Sukhjinder is among at least 150 young men and women in the northern Indian state who were duped by a gang which extorted huge sums of money in exchange for false promises of getting them settled in the US.
Police said the gang, which is entirely made up of Indians, would fly out its victims to new destinations such as Bali in Indonesia and hold them hostage for days to extract a ransom from their families.
They said they suspected the gang chose countries like Indonesia or Singapore as their base because of cheap flights and the "visa on arrival" facility available to Indian citizens in these countries. Besides Punjab, men in three other states - Haryana, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh - were also targeted, they added.
Last year, police said they had arrested "the gang leader" Sunny Kumar's wife and his father and recovered 15m rupees ($1.82m; £1.47m) from their home in Punjab. So far, 11 people have been arrested in connection with the scam, they added.
But Kumar and other gang leaders are still absconding, believed to be hiding in Indonesia. Police say they are in touch with the Indian federal government to get their whereabouts. Those under arrest have not made any statements. The BBC has contacted the Indonesian police for comment and the story will be updated when they respond.
BBC
Punjab: The Indian 'American dream' which ended in a scam in Bali
Sarbjit Dhaliwal - BBC Punjabi
Sat, April 15, 2023 at 6:02 PM PDT
Like millions of others in India, Sukhjinder always dreamt of migrating to the US in search of a better life.
Now he shudders at the very idea.
"I have chills down my spine when I hear someone talk about going abroad. That one decision ruined everything for me," said the 35-year-old, who goes by only one name.
A resident of Tarn Taran, a small town in Punjab, Mr Sukhjinder is among at least 150 young men and women in the northern Indian state who were duped by a gang which extorted huge sums of money in exchange for false promises of getting them settled in the US.
Police said the gang, which is entirely made up of Indians, would fly out its victims to new destinations such as Bali in Indonesia and hold them hostage for days to extract a ransom from their families.
They said they suspected the gang chose countries like Indonesia or Singapore as their base because of cheap flights and the "visa on arrival" facility available to Indian citizens in these countries. Besides Punjab, men in three other states - Haryana, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh - were also targeted, they added.
Last year, police said they had arrested "the gang leader" Sunny Kumar's wife and his father and recovered 15m rupees ($1.82m; £1.47m) from their home in Punjab. So far, 11 people have been arrested in connection with the scam, they added.
But Kumar and other gang leaders are still absconding, believed to be hiding in Indonesia. Police say they are in touch with the Indian federal government to get their whereabouts. Those under arrest have not made any statements. The BBC has contacted the Indonesian police for comment and the story will be updated when they respond.
