Indian-origin man in United States sentenced to jail for smuggling Indians using Uber app

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• Jun 28, 2023 | Dhupali Das

A 49-year-old Indian-origin man was sentenced to more than three years in prison for...

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

Rajinder Pal Singh, aka Jaspal Gill, pleaded guilty in February, confessing that he took in more than USD 500,000 as a key member of a smuggling ring that brought hundreds of Indian citizens across the border from Canada, the Department of Justice said in a press release.

Singh, a California resident, was sentenced on Tuesday in a US District Court 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, Singh planned 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 posed a security danger for Washington but also exposed those trafficked to security and safety risks during the frequently weeks-long smuggling trek from India to the US.

"Singh's participation in this conspiracy preyed on the Indian nationals' hopes for a better life in the US while saddled those smuggled with a crushing debt of up to USD 70,000," Gorman said.

According to the press release, Singh and his co-conspirators utilized Uber to transport passengers who had unlawfully crossed the border from Canada to the Seattle area which started in July 2018.

From mid-2018 to May 2022, Singh organized more than 600 journeys involving the transit of illegally smuggled Indian individuals into the United States.

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According to investigation estimates, the 17 Uber accounts associated with the smuggling operation racked up more than USD 80,000 in costs between July 2018 and April 2022.

Singh's co-conspirators would employ one-way vehicle rentals to transport those smuggled to their final destinations outside Washington state in journeys that began near the border in the early hours and were split amongst different riders, according to the press release.

Members of the smuggling group also used sophisticated methods to launder the illicit gains. Singh admitted in the plea deal that the goal of the complicated money movement was to conceal the illicit nature of the money.

Investigators also discovered over USD 45,000 in cash and bogus identification documents at one of Singh's properties in California, according to the press release.

It further stated that Singh, who is not lawful resident in the United States, will most likely be deported after completing his prison sentence.