New Delhi, July 9 -- The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted searches across 11 locations in Punjab and Haryana in connection with the infamous 'Donkey Route' human trafficking racket that came to light following the deportation of several illegal immigrants from the United States in February this year, official sources said.

The raids, carried out by ED's Jalandhar Zonal office, are underway based on intelligence gathered during the ongoing probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The places being raided by the agency are Amritsar, Sangrur, Patiala, Moga, Ambala, Kurukshetra, and Karnal, targeting travel and visa agents allegedly involved in the illegal immigration network.

The PMLA investigation was ...