The Hazaribagh Police have busted an international human trafficking racket that lured local youths with false promises of jobs in the United States via the dangerous “donkey route.” Five persons, including the alleged mastermind, Uday Kumar Kushwaha, have been arrested.
The breakthrough came after a complaint by Sonu Kumar of Bharajo village, who alleged that Kushwaha — an Indian-origin businessman based in the US — sent him and two others to Brazil in 2024 using forged documents. Once there, they were handed over to traffickers who attempted to smuggle them through South and Central America — via Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Guatemala — into the US.
The complainant was held captive for 50 days, and his father was coerced into paying ₹45 lakh. After reaching Mexico, he was detained by the US authorities and deported to India in March 2025.
Acting on an FIR registered on July 31 (Tatijharia PS Case No. 32/25), police launched a coordinated raid and arrested Uday Kumar Kushwaha (currently based in the US), along with Darshan Prasad of Budh Bazaar, Lal Mohan Prasad of Kesda, Chohan Prasad of Bharajo, and Shankar Prasad of Meru.
Police recovered several mobile phones, screenshots of financial transactions, WhatsApp chats with victims and their families, bank deposit slips, and a handwritten notebook containing names of trafficked individuals and details of extorted sums.
Preliminary investigation reveals that at least 12 youths were smuggled into the US between 2013 and 2022 through similar routes. These include victims from Tatijharia and surrounding areas.
The operation was led by SDPO Bishnugarh Baijnath Prasad, with assistance from Tatijharia and Mufassil police stations, as well as technical teams.
The Hazaribagh SP has termed the operation a major breakthrough against cross-border human trafficking. Efforts are on to trace more victims and expose the international syndicate.