MICHAEL BRYANT / Inquirer
Lead FBI agent Jason Huff (right) asked permission for his squad to keep an eye on Akhil Bansal, in case he tried to flee. It was a good call. Huff and Special Agent Special Agent Shannon E. Clark (left) were among the agents who arrested Akhil. Agents rounded up suspects on the East County and in India.
DrugNet, Chapter 8: Trap's Ready, Set - Go
Akhil makes a dash for Canada, an FBI agent plays a hunch, and the feds hope an intricate global snare gets their prey in time.
THE STORY SO FAR
In the middle of the night, hours before DEA and FBI agents are to arrest Internet drug dealers in a worldwide sweep, Temple grad student Akhil Bansal senses something is wrong and races from his Roxborough apartment to catch a plane back to India. Today's installment begins as Akhil flees. It is April 19, 2005.
ROXBOROUGH
The driver had the SUV's engine running.
Akhil Bansal hustled from his apartment, rolling a black canvas suitcase into the cool, clear night.
He carried $1,500 and a printout of an hours-old airplane ticket to India.
It was 1:39 a.m. on April 19, 2005.
The day's events swirled in Akhil's head: He had exams at Temple University in 11 days. An online-pharmacy client had been arrested in New York. That morning, Akhil's father had instructed him to flee "as soon as you smell trouble." That evening, Akhil discovered his bank accounts frozen. His mother called to say his father had fallen ill again.
Akhil put the bag in the car. His fiancée, Foram Mankodi, trailed behind, barefoot, into the glare of the parking lot's bright lights.
How This Series Was Produced
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The driver, fellow student Prakash Bhavnani, wearing only plaid boxers and an undershirt, slid into the passenger seat.
Akhil got behind the wheel.
Foram shuffled back to the apartment and waved goodbye.
Akhil was headed for Detroit, where he had reserved a Ford Escape. He planned to drive the rental across the border to Toronto, where he would catch a nonstop to New Delhi.
He hit the accelerator.
