Operation Seek and Keep a year-long investigation by the INS succeeded in discovering and breaking up what according to Attorney General Janet Reno, was the largest alien smuggling organization to ever be completely dismantled. The alien smuggling cartel which brought illegal immigrants, mostly from India, to serve as cheap labor for many large companies, was headed by Nitin Shettie, a 30 year old Indian man who also used the aliases Nick Diaz and Roshan Bhajun. Other head figures in the organization were Navtej Pall Singh Sandu (40) and Nirangjan Maan Singh.
As many as 12000 people were smuggled into the United States by the organization, most of them single men from India. The smuggling organization grossed approximately $220 million over a three year period. Charging 20,000-28,000 per immigrant and smuggling 300 people into the U.S. each month. The aliens were mostly used as cheap labor, in the service industry (fast food outlets for example) often working for well below the minimum wage. In rare cases the cost for the immigrants trip was paid by family members in the states,but mostly they were bought by their employees who would garnish their already low wages and keep them as indentured servants.
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Trade Route
For most of the immigrants, the travel started in India, but some came from Pakistan, Syria and Afghanistan. From there they went to Moscow where connecting flights and travel papers are easy to get. From Moscow the immigrants most often traveled to Latin American or the Caribbean where they would either fly or take a boat ride into the Miami area or walk across the Mexican border. Once in the U.S. the immigrants were kept in stash houses where they were kept under lock and key. While most of the smuggled aliens remained on the East Coast, INS said its investigation identified aliens or employers in 38 states. |
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Operation Seek and Keep
The purpose of Operation Seek and Keep was to dismantle a criminal network that was smuggling Indian nationals into the United States for illegal employment, thus preserving jobs for authorized U.S. workers. From a law enforcement perspective, this case has been unique in that the entire smuggling organization has been broken. International and domestic smugglers have been apprehended, closing down the smuggling pipeline. Employers who placed orders for illegal aliens and the illegal aliens are still being identified and apprehended.
How it Ended
--One of federal agents' biggest tips came from one of the immigrants. He
was motivated by a $5,000 penalty added on to his $20,000 smuggling fee as
a result of his having to be bailed of of jail after being caught by
immigration authorities in Miami.
--The immigration service used new authority granted under the 1996
immigration law to intercept electronic communications, monitoring more
than 35,000 calls during the investigation.
--A federal grand jury in Dallas charged 31 people in three sealed
indictments that contain 58 immigration and money-laundering counts.
Time Line
06/97
a 36-foot sporting boat called the Flying Fish is found near Miami by the
U.S. border patrol. On board are 14-Indians and 17 Haitians. This aroused
the suspicions of federal agents who learned that Dallas officials were
investigating a similar incident.
Criminal Arrests
Nitin Shettie--Bahamas November 14, 1998
Aboul Farooque a.k.a. Gulum/Gulu/Junior--Bahamas November 14,
1998
Guvantla Shah--Laguardia Airport, NY November 14, 1998
Shernik Kumar Shah--North Bergen, NJ November 14, 1998
Bupendra Patel--North Bergen, NJ November 14, 1998
Paresh Patel--Staten Island, NY November 15, 1998
Navin Patel--Somerset, NJ November 15, 1998
Mohammad Farooq a.k.a. Franco--Miami Airport, FL November 15, 1998
George Kassel or Khazaal--Jacksonville, FL November 15, 1998
Inayat Vahora--Tampa, FL, November 15, 1998
Jay Patel--Tampa, FL November 15, 1998
Antoin Lamar Rahming--Miami, FL November 16, 1998
Mukesh Solanki--Los Angeles, CA November 16, 1998
Hiren Jashvant Bhai Pat--Dumas, TX November 16, 1998
Dinesh Patel--Fort Worth, TX November 16, 1998
Atul Patel--Philadelphia, PA November 17, 1998
Maria Margot Farimango Gualavisio--Miami Airport,FL November 17, 1998
Mahandra Patel--Miami Airport, FL November 18, 1998
Nizar--Houston, TX November 19, 1998
Abdul Sampson Perth--Amboy, NJ November 18, 1998
Navtej Pall Singh Sandu--San Juan, Puerto Rico November 18, 1998