Indian-origin man jailed for smuggling over 800 Indians to US using Uber

"Over a four-year period, Mr. Singh arranged for more than 800 people to be smuggled into the US across the northern border and into Washington State," claimed Gorman.

Digital Desk: A 49-year-old Indian-origin man was sentenced to more than three years in prison for smuggling over 800 Indian residents into the United States via the ride-hailing app Uber.

Rajinder Pal Singh, aka Jaspal Gill, pleaded guilty in February, confessing to taking in more than USD 500,000 as a key member of a smuggling network that brought hundreds of Indian immigrants across the border from Canada, according to a press statement from the Department of Justice.

Singh, a California citizen, was sentenced on Tuesday to "45 months in prison for Conspiracy to Transport and Harbour Certain Aliens for Profit and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering," according to Acting US Attorney Tessa M. Gorman.

"Over a four-year period, Mr. Singh arranged for more than 800 people to be smuggled into the US across the northern border and into Washington State," claimed Gorman.

She claimed that Singh's actions not only put Washington's security at risk but also put individuals who were being smuggled in danger along the frequently lengthy smuggling path from India to the US.

"Mr Singh's participation in this conspiracy preyed upon the Indian nationals' hopes for a better life in the US while saddling those smuggled with a crushing debt of as much as USD 70,000," stated Gorman.

According to the news release, which cited documents submitted in the case, starting in July 2018, Singh and his accomplices used Uber to transport individuals who had illegitimately crossed the border from Canada to the Seattle region.

Singh organized more than 600 journeys involving the transportation of Indian people who were being trafficked into the US illegally between mid-2018 and May 2022.

According to research estimates, the 17 Uber accounts connected to the smuggling operation accrued more than USD 80,000 in charges between July 2018 and April 2022.

In trips that typically started near the border in the early hours and were split across different riders, Singh's accomplices would use the one-way vehicle rentals to transport individuals smuggled to their final destinations outside Washington state, according to the press release.

The smuggling ring's members also employed sophisticated techniques to launder the illegal gains. Singh acknowledged in the plea deal that the complicated money movement was done to hide the fact that the funds were obtained illegally.

According to the news release, investigators also seized around $45,000 in cash and fake identification documents from one of Singh's California properties.

Singh, who is not authorized to be in the country, will probably be deported after serving his sentence.