An Indian man has been sentenced to more than five years in prison after admitting his role in a smuggling network that transported migrants from the UK to France hidden inside lorries.
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Jaskirat Singh, 25, from Wolverhampton, was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court after pleading guilty to conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration, BBC reported.
The court heard that Singh played a central role in coordinating cross-Channel smuggling journeys, arranging transport and logistics for migrants concealed inside heavy goods vehicles travelling to France.
Evidence recovered from mobile phones linked Singh to the operation, including messages arranging journeys, videos showing large amounts of cash and a TikTok account that appeared to advertise crossings.
Prosecutors also relied on a voice note in which Singh claimed he had been involved in the smuggling network for four years and had helped send around 60 people a week to France over a nine-month period.
Judge Alison Russell said the operation appeared to involve groups of up to 15 people being hidden inside lorries before being transported across the Channel. She told the court that Singh acted as a coordinator and logistics manager within the network and that the offending was carried out for significant financial gain.
The court heard that investigators believe Singh earned more than £185,000 through the scheme.
Sentencing him, Judge Russell said migrants were transported in unsafe and cramped conditions, exposing them to serious risks. She added that children may also have been among those moved through the operation.
The smuggling plot came to light after 11 Indian nationals were discovered hiding inside a lorry trailer stopped at Dover in December 2024. Investigators later linked Singh to that incident and another attempted crossing, leading officers to his address in Wolverhampton.
Peter Cockrill, District Crown Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service South East, said Singh had played a key role in a criminal enterprise that placed vulnerable people in danger.
"Jaskirat Singh was a significant participant in an organised immigration crime operation, putting individuals at serious risk for financial gain," he said.
Defence barrister Talbir Singh KC told the court that Singh had moved to the UK at the age of 18 after his family relocated from India to Italy and had been working legally in the country. He argued that Singh was not the mastermind behind the operation and had acted under others involved in the conspiracy.
The Crown Prosecution Service said it will now seek a confiscation order to recover money believed to have been made from the smuggling operation.
