An 18-year-old from Haryana who left home last year hoping to reach the United States through the illegal “dunki” route has been killed in Guatemala, allegedly after being held captive by human traffickers, his family said on Saturday.
The deceased, identified as Yuvraj, son of an agriculturist from Mohna village in Kaithal district, had left for the US in October last year in search of employment, reported news agency PTI.
“Yuvraj had passed Class 12 and wanted to support his family. We were told he would reach the US safely through a network of contacts,” his maternal uncle Gurpej Singh told the news agency.
His family said they learned of his death recently when one of the “donkers” – a term used for human traffickers – sent them photos and a death certificate claiming Yuvraj and another youth from Punjab had been killed.
Hostage video, ransome demands
According to the PTI report, three Haryana-based travel agents had taken large sums of money from the family, promising a safe journey. But soon after the first payment, contact with Yuvraj was lost, Gurpej Singh said.
Months later, the family received videos showing Yuvraj and another youth being held hostage in Guatemalafollowed by ransom demands from the traffickers.
“Recently, one of the ‘donkers’ contacted the family claiming Yuvraj had been killed and demanded ₹3 lakh to provide proof. After the payment, they sent a death certificate and photos,” the deceased’s uncle said.
He added that the family believes the money routed through local agents did not reach the traffickers abroad.
“Overall, the family paid anywhere between ₹40 to ₹50 lakh to the travel agents and the donkers,” Gurpej said.
He added that the family had approached the police earlier, and two local agents were arrested. However, they were later informed about Yuvraj’s death.
Several people from Haryana, Punjab, and other states have been attempting to reach the US through “dunki routes.” These pathways have time and again proved to be dangerous and are often exploited by traffickers.
Many such migrants have faced severe abuse, while hundreds have been deported after entering the US illegally.
