Indian man jailed in England for organising lorry migrant smuggling to France

Summary

An Indian man has been jailed for five years and three months in south-east England after admitting his role in smuggling migrants from the UK to France in the back of lorries. Jaskirat Singh, 25, pleaded guilty earlier this month to conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration to a member state. The UK's Crown Prosecution Service said Singh played a central role in the movement of non-British nationals between December 2024 and March 2026 and is believed to have earned around 185,000 pounds from the operation. He was sentenced by Canterbury Crown Court on Thursday. According to the CPS, the case came to light after 11 Indian nationals were found hiding in the trailer of a lorry stopped at Dover in December 2024. Information provided by them, along with details from four other Indians found in a separate lorry travelling to France in January 2025, led authorities to Singh and his address in Wolverhampton. An investigation led by Immigration Enforcement found what the CPS described as extensive incriminating material on Singh's mobile devices, including voice notes, images, messages and videos. Some of the images had been saved from TikTok and advertised crossings to France. Singh was arrested, interviewed by Immigration Enforcement officers and later charged. Among the evidence was a video, believed to have been filmed by Singh, showing a large number of 20-pound notes spread out on a bed.