5 Sikhs Seized as Alien Smugglers : Ring Brought Hundreds of Indians Into U.S., INS Says

Undercover immigration agents have broken a major illegal alien smuggling ring that is believed to have brought hundreds of Indian citizens into Los Angeles through Mexico during the last several years, Immigration and Naturalization Service officials said Tuesday.

The yearlong undercover operation culminated Tuesday morning in the arrest of five Sikhs in Van Nuys and in Panorama City, Harold Ezell, regional INS commissioner, said in a news release. A sixth suspect is being sought.

Operation Infiltrated

The six men were described as Indian citizens from Punjab state. Another eight suspected illegal alien Sikhs also were arrested.

“This ring had been in operation for several years before we became aware of it,” Joe Flanders, regional INS spokesman, added.

“Two undercover agents infiltrated the operation about a year ago and since then, the operation moved about 500 people into Los Angeles. That number may be only a drop in the bucket compared to the number of people they brought in over the years.”

Virtually all the aliens were from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Flanders said. Most were flown from Europe to Mexico City on tourist visas, he said. From Mexico City, a member of the ring would bring them to the U.S. border, where they were smuggled across on foot.

The group reportedly charged a minimum of $2,000 or $3,000 a person for delivery into the United States.

The suspected smuggling ring is one of an increasing number of operations that are believed to be bringing illegal aliens from Europe and Asia into the United States through Mexico.

Last year, for example, INS agents arrested more than 65 illegal aliens around the country as part of a crackdown on a sophisticated smuggling ring that specialized in bringing Albanian Yugoslavs into Chicago and New Jersey through the Mexican border.

“We’re also seeing more and more Pakistanis, Iranians and Chinese coming in through Mexico,” Flanders said Tuesday.

‘New Trend’

“It’s a relatively new trend that seems to be growing. But the motive is the same: They want to get to the United States like everybody else to make a better living here.”

Arrested Tuesday on charges of illegal alien smuggling and conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens were Iqbal Samra Singh and Kulwinder Khalon of Van Nuys, and Jugrat Khalon Singh and Opinder Jit Singh of Panorama City. Also arrested was Jaswat Dhillion, whose address was not known.