American nightmare: Gujarat man held in Mexico, kin ‘sent to US’ | India News – Times of India

AHMEDABAD: A 34-year-old Mehsana man’s long-cherished American dream turned into an endless nightmare when his plans to enter the US illegally with his wife and three children go awry. As he could arrange only Rs 1 crore against the fixed payment of Rs 1.5 crore, human traffickers forced his wife and three children – aged 12, 7 and 5 – to cross into the US illegally. while they caught him. captive In Mexico, police sources said. Separated from his loved ones and gang tortured, he suffers a brain stroke and is in critical condition at a hospital in Cancun, Mexico.
Priyank Patel, 34, his wife Uma, 32, and three children left Saldi village in the first week of January – around the same time that a family of four from Dingucha, including two children, tried to cross the ground. They died together. border and enter the US.
Sources in the state police said that Priyank and his family had left their village in January and started living in a rented house in Ghatlodia area of ​​the city. He later traveled to Delhi and from there to Mexico with the help of two agents, Chandresh Patel from Ahmedabad and Lakhu Patel from Paliyad in Kalol. Police sources said the ‘deal’ was settled for Rs 1.5 crore and the first installment of Rs 1 crore was given to both the agents through Angadiya.
However, when Priyank and his family reached Cancun, the Mexican human traffickers were instructed by local agents to keep them in captivity as they were yet to pay Rs 50 lakh. Police sources said Priyank tortured the family for over a week before pleading with the men to release his wife and children, as most of the payment had been made.
“Uma and the kids were taken away from her. The smugglers told Priyank that they had been sent to Texas and informed one of his family members. However, Priyank hasn’t heard from his wife and kids since then. The gang harassed him for months and last week in June, he suffered a brain stroke. Being diabetic, his condition kept getting worse. A police officer said that he was admitted to the hospital and his condition is stated to be critical.
Sarpanch of Saldi village Jemar Thakor told that Priyank and his family had gone to America through some agents (human smugglers). “He left the village about eight months ago, but we don’t know what happened to him. Members of his community told us that the family could not reach the US due to Priyank’s ill health.