Three individuals, identified as Yogesh Patel, Bhavesh Patel, and Dashrath Chaudhary, have been arrested in western India for their alleged involvement in a black-market immigration scheme that led to the tragic deaths of an Indian family on the United States-Canada border last year.

According to Deputy Commissioner Chaitanya Mandlik of Ahmedabad Police’s crime branch, the suspects have been charged with multiple offenses, including culpable homicide, human trafficking, criminal conspiracy, and an attempt to commit culpable homicide.

The suspects are believed to have facilitated illegal immigration from the state of Gujarat to the United States through Canada. The group of 11 illegal immigrants, including the ill-fated family of four, were reportedly taken to Toronto and then to Vancouver before being left in Winnipeg, Manitoba province, to cross over into the United States on their own. The family became separated from the rest of the group during a blizzard and froze to death near the Manitoba town of Emerson on January 19, 2022.

Autopsies revealed that the family, consisting of Jagdish Baldevbhai Patel, his wife, Vaishaliben Jagdishkumar, and their children, ages 11 and 3, died due to exposure to extreme weather, as reported by Canadian public broadcaster CBC.

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According to Mandlik, at least two more individuals are wanted in connection with the case, who are believed to be agents operating in Canada and the United States. He stated that these agents provide assistance with legal and other matters to those attempting to cross the border illegally. The arrests of these three suspects are a significant step in holding those responsible accountable for their actions and the tragic outcome.