Three Gujarat residents who went missing in Ethiopia while trying to reach the United States through an illegal route have safely returned to India. The trio arrived at Mumbai airport at 3 am on Thursday and are now on their way back to Mehsana district, police said.

The three were identified as Rutvik Jansari, 23, of Vadsma village in Mehsana, Mamta Chavda, 30, originally from Mehsana and now living in Ahmedabad, and Mayuri Solanki, 27, of Gandhinagar. They had left Gujarat on September 20 after their families paid agents around Rs 70 lakh each.

Contact was lost after September 22. Families alleged the three were kidnapped in Ethiopia and that a ransom of Rs 1 crore was demanded. Rutvik’s grandfather claimed Rs 60 lakh had already been paid.

Langhnaj Police Inspector Ankush Gehlot confirmed their return, saying the Ministry of External Affairs helped bring them home. Police are investigating claims linking the alleged abductors to a ‘Baba Khan network’. The families had earlier filed missing-person complaints.