Mumbai: Attempt to smuggle 7 into US through ''Pak link'' foiled

A human trafficking racket which used a Pakistan terror bluff in an attempt to smuggle people

into the United States was busted in a joint operation by the Mumbai police's Crime Branch and central investigation

agencies, a senior official said on Sunday. The kingpin of this racket is of Pakistan origin and

it involved sending to the United States seven people whose relatives are already in that country, he said.

"Mankhurd police here received information through mail on February 20 that seven people, including a Pakistan-

based woman, were likely to go to Pakistan via Dubai from Mumbai," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Preventive) Datta

Nalawade. The mail sender, who identified himself as 'Rameesh

Makhan', had mentioned that this group of seven would arrive in Pakistan for terror training and then return to India, said

the official. However, a probe revealed the seven persons were not

going to Pakistan but to the US via Canada, he said. "We also found the mail sender's name was not Rameesh

Makhan but Rizwan Sayyed, a Pakistan origin man living in the US. We learnt the family members of these seven were in the US

and had paid between USD 25,00 to 30,000 to him for the trafficking operation," Nalawade said.

The seven, in the age group of 28-35 years, were divided in two batches, and the first lot was to leave on

Sunday, the DCP informed. No arrests have been made and all angles, including

terror links, are being probed by Mumbai police and central agencies, he said.

Sources said it was not known if Sayyed sent the mail to Manhkurd police to divert attention of probe agencies or to

ensure the seven are detained here so that he could escape with the money paid by their relatives.