New Twist In Smuggling Singh Case In U.S.

We reported earlier that an Indian-origin Simranjit Singh, also known as ‘Shally’ Singh, was extradited from Canada to the US on charges of multiple counts of alien smuggling and conspiracy. Earlier, he had pleaded not guilty.

But now, in the latest twist, he has pleaded guilty to six charges of alien smuggling and three counts of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling in a federal court in Albany, New York.

Singh’s involvement in the human smuggling network included transporting Indian nationals from Canada to the US through Cornwall Island and the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation in the St. Lawrence River region.

He charged between $5,000 and $35,000 per person and paid locals in Akwesasne to ferry the individuals across the river. Singh admitted to transporting Indian nationals on boats from Cornwall Island to the US side of the river, where they were picked up and driven to motels in New York State.

The US prosecution against Singh stemmed from a failed smuggling attempt in March 2020, just before the COVID-19 border closure, where he used an Akwesasne woman to transport three Indian nationals.