New Delhi, Aug. 3 -- 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...