Jharkhand Police have busted a major international human trafficking syndicate that smuggled at least 12 individuals to the United States via the notorious “donkey route,” used to illegally cross multiple South and Central American borders. The racket, which involved fraudulent promises of jobs in the U.S., has been active since 2013 and is believed to have defrauded victims of crores of rupees.
The breakthrough came after Sonu Kumar, a resident of Bharajo village in Hazaribag’s Tatijharia block, lodged a complaint on 30 July 2025, exposing a trafficking network allegedly led by Uday Kumar Kushwaha—an Indian-origin U.S. resident for the past 45 years. According to the FIR registered under Tatijharia PS Case No. 32/25, Sonu alleged that he was lured by Uday with the promise of employment and was sent to Brazil on forged documents in 2024, from where traffickers attempted to smuggle him into the U.S. via the perilous “donkey route.”
Sonu and two others—Bikash Kumar and Pintu Kumar—were allegedly handed over to international traffickers who led them through Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Guatemala. Sonu claimed he was held captive for 50 days and his father was coerced into paying ?45 lakh after selling ancestral land. Eventually caught at the U.S. border, Sonu was detained for four months in San Diego before being deported in March 2025.
Upon his return, Sonu said he was assaulted and threatened when he demanded a refund. The SDPO Bishnugarh Baijnath Prasad, who led the operation, informed that the alleged mastermind, Uday Kumar Kushwaha, had returned to his native village in Hazaribag to attend a relative’s funeral. Sonu learned of his presence and first approached him to ask for his money back. When he was allegedly abused and threatened again, he filed a formal complaint with the police. The timely action allowed Hazaribag Police to swiftly arrest Uday and others involved in the racket.
A special raid team led by the SDPO arrested five individuals, namely Uday Kumar Kushwaha (currently residing in the U.S.), Chohan Prasad, Darshan Prasad, Lal Mohan Prasad and Shankar Prasad.
The police also recovered a Samsung phone containing WhatsApp conversations with the victim and his father, bank deposit slips in Uday’s wife’s name, a notebook detailing names of trafficked individuals and amounts extorted and mobile phones with transaction records and chats linked to the trafficking network.
The police confirmed that eight individuals were smuggled in 2022 alone, with others sent in 2019, 2018, and as far back as 2013. “Those taken through the donkey route had passports but no visas. Thousands are smuggled annually through the Mexico border. We are preparing a case report for submission to higher authorities,” the SDPO said. He added that many of the trafficked individuals were related to the accused U.S.-based trafficker or belonged to the same community.
Jharkhand Director General of Police Anurag Gupta said, “This is a clear case of human trafficking involving false promises of a better livelihood. It is the first such international case from Jharkhand. As this is an international case, we will share all findings with the Ministry of Home Affairs for further action,” Gupta said.
Police said further investigations are underway to identify more individuals involved in the network. Authorities have urged the public to stay alert and report any suspicious activities related to illegal migration or trafficking.
This case is being seen as a significant step in unearthing and dismantling cross-border human trafficking operations linked to rural India.