US authorities have arrested an Indian-origin man in connection with a human trafficking case in which four Indians froze to death near Manitoba's southern border with the US two years ago, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) News reported.
Harshkumar Patel also known as 'Dirty Harry', 'Param Singh' and 'Haresh Rameshlal Patel', was arrested at Chicago airport last week.
Patel has been charged with the "transportation of illegal alien and conspiracy to bring and attempt to bring an illegal alien to the United States".
Court documents allege Harshkumar Patel had recruited alleged smuggler Steve Shand - a Florida resident who was arrested in 2022 after the bodies were recovered.
"Patel was part of an organised human smuggling group that facilitated illegal entry of Indian nationals into the United States," the police said in its complaint.
The police complaint also provides details of communication between Harshkumar Patel and Shand. They spoke about "arrangements for rental cars, hotels, and payments to Shand".
In one message, Patel told Shand to "make sure everyone is dressed for the blizzard conditions please".
"Shand described five total trips he had made to the international border in Minnesota between December 2021 and January 2022, to transport Indian nationals, including the January 19, 2022 trip during which he was arrested," the affidavit said.
Jagdish Baldevbhai Patel, his wife Vaishaliben Jagdishkumar Patel and their children Vihangi Jagdishkumar and Dharmik Jagdishkumar were found frozen to death near Emerson, Manitoba on January 19, 2022.
The Patel family arrived in Toronto on January 12, 2022, their first point of entry into Canada. From Toronto, the family made their way to Manitoba and eventually to Emerson before they died near the border due to exposure to extreme weather conditions.
Police had earlier said there was no abandoned vehicle located on the Canadian side of the border, clearly indicating that someone drove the family to the border and then left the scene.
