“Singh was part of a network that facilitated the illegal transportation of hundreds of people from India into the United States, using Canada as a transit point.”
Simranjit (Shally) Singh, a 41-year-old Indian national residing in Brampton, Ontario, has pleaded guilty in a US federal court on July 28 to charges related to human smuggling. According to cbc.ca, Singh was part of a network that facilitated the illegal transportation of hundreds of people from India into the United States, using Canada as a transit point.
During the court appearance in Albany, N.Y., before Judge Mae A. D’Agostino, Singh admitted to six counts of alien smuggling and three counts of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling. He was dressed in a short-sleeved orange jumpsuit, labeled “ACCF Inmate” for Albany County Correctional Facility, and appeared alone as no family or friends were present.
The plea agreement made by Singh acknowledged his involvement in arranging the smuggling of individuals from India into the US. He operated by flying them to major Canadian cities such as Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal before transporting them to Cornwall, Ontario. From there, Singh facilitated their passage across the St. Lawrence River through Akwesasne, a Haudenosaunee community situated about 120 kilometers west of Montreal, which straddles the Canada-US border.
US authorities revealed that Singh claimed to have successfully smuggled more than 1,000 people into the United States from Canada. The case against him was built on evidence gathered through various means, including surveillance, Facebook messages, and information from human sources. The investigation focused on four failed smuggling attempts that occurred between March 2020 and April 2022, as documented in court records.
Acting as a broker, Singh charged fees ranging from $5,000 to $35,000 per person to facilitate the illegal entry of mainly Indian nationals into the US. He then paid individuals in Akwesasne between $2,000 to $3,000 per person to assist in transporting them across the St. Lawrence River via the community’s territory.
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Singh’s history in Canada involved seeking refugee claims alongside his family members, but all claims were eventually rejected
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The authorities faced challenges in returning him and his family to India as the Indian Consulate refused to provide travel documents
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Additionally, Singh had applied to stay in Canada after marrying a second wife, but this application was pending at the time of his arrest in the summer of 2022
The process involved loading Indian nationals onto boats departing from Cornwall Island in Akwesasne, where they were taken across the water to the southern shore of the St. Lawrence River. From there, they were picked up in vehicles and transported to motels in nearby New York state, following the same route used by the Indian and Romanian families who tragically lost their lives in March.
After the court hearing, Singh’s lawyer, Lee Kindlon, stated that his client’s claim of smuggling 1,000 people may have been an exaggeration. Kindlon described Singh as a smaller player within a larger network and expressed uncertainty about his understanding of the entire operation. He emphasized that many involved answered to higher authorities, making it unclear who was at the top of the network.
Singh’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 28, 2023. He could face a prison sentence ranging from five to 15 years, along with the possibility of deportation to India.
Singh’s history in Canada involved seeking refugee claims alongside his family members, but all claims were eventually rejected. The authorities faced challenges in returning him and his family to India as the Indian Consulate refused to provide travel documents. Additionally, Singh had applied to stay in Canada after marrying a second wife, but this application was pending at the time of his arrest in the summer of 2022.
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