Indian Family That Froze to Death Near US-Canada Border Identified, Human Smuggling Being Probed

A week after their bodies were found frozen near the Canada/US border, the family of four Indian nationals has been identified. Canadian authorities said the family had moved around the country for a period of time and was driven to the border by someone in a case being described as that of human smuggling. Jagdish Baldevbhai Patel, 39, Vaishaliben Jagdishkumar Patel, 37, Vihangi Jagdishkumar Patel, 11 and Dharmik Jagdishkumar Patel, 3, all from the same family, were found dead near Emerson, Manitoba, approximately 12 metres from the Canada/US border on January 19 by Manitoba Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Shand, a suspected smuggler of undocumented foreign nationals was arrested by American authorities near the US/Canadian border on January 19 for transporting two Indian nationals, who were illegally present in the US. The High Commission said the tragedy has highlighted the issues of safe and legal migration as Canada is a preferred destination for Indian immigrants and students.