Gujarat Family Faces Ransom Demand After US Smuggling Attempt Fails

Mamta Chavda, 30, along with her cousins Rutvik Jansari, 23, and Mayuri Solanki, 27, departed from Mehsana district on September 20. The group sought to reunite with Mamta’s husband in the US after she suffered six consecutive visa rejections. They engaged local agents Alpesh Panchal and Bhargav Patel, who orchestrated a transit route through Jaipur, Abu Dhabi, and eventually Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Contact ceased shortly after a September 22 phone call in which Mamta falsely claimed to have reached Canada. Days later, an individual identifying himself as Khan contacted the family, demanding a significant ransom. Panchal, the primary agent, now alleges that his own international contacts have vanished and claims the group was abducted while held at a facility in Ethiopia. The Langhnaj police have opened an investigation into the smuggling network, focusing on the agents' roles and the provenance of the extortion calls.