Gujarati family’s death in Canada, police seek public help to solve case
Ottawa: The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), which is investigating the death of four members of a Gujarati family who died while trying to enter the US illegally in January, has sought help from the public about the movement of victims to Canada.
The bodies of Jagdishkumar Patel (39), his wife Vaishaliben (37), daughter Vihangi (11) and son Dharmik (3) were found by the RCMP near Emerson in Manitoba province on the US-Canada border on January 19. The family was trying to enter the US on foot on a cold night with a large group of people from India.
Gujarati family was a victim of human trafficking network: Police
The Gujarati family was a victim of a human trafficking network that used secure messaging applications to communicate, police said on Friday. According to the investigation, the Patel family arrived in Toronto by flight from Dubai on January 12, 2022.
They were picked up from the airport in a private vehicle. They used the ride-share app to travel while staying in private accommodation and hotels in Toronto. The family left Toronto shortly before they were found dead at the Canada-US border in Manitoba province on January 19.
Police say they do not know how the family travelled from Toronto to Manitoba, although they have verified all air, rail and bus means of transport between these two locations.
