Sale of banned substances lands Indian in five-year prison term

April 20 :
Attorney General William Barr said on April 19 that Indian national Banmeet Singh would serve a five-year prison term and be required to return around USD150 million for his role in the sale of banned narcotics on dark web markets.

At the request of the US, 40-year-old Singh of Haldwani was apprehended in London in April 2019 and extradited in March 2023. Both the conspiracy to launder money and the conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled narcotics were charges to which he pleaded guilty in January.

In order to sell narcotics including fentanyl, LSD, ecstasy, Xanax, ketamine, and tramadol, Banmeet allegedly set up vendor marketing sites on dark web markets like Silk Road, Alpha Bay, etc.

Singh accepted cryptocurrencies as payment for narcotics purchased through his vendor sites. Federal authorities stated that after that, Singh either sent the narcotics from Europe to the US via US mail or otherwise arranged for their transfer.

While he was in leadership of at least eight US distribution cells from 2012 to 2017, Singh oversaw operations in a number of states, including Washington, North Dakota, North Carolina, Ohio, Maryland, and North Dakota.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, individuals in these distribution cells took in narcotics shipments, repackaged them, and sent them on to various destinations around the country, including the 50 states, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Jamaica, Scotland, and the Virgin Islands.

The official release stated that the Singh drug organisation transported hundreds of kilogrammes of controlled substances across the US and set up a multimillion-dollar drug enterprise. They also laundered millions of dollars worth of drug proceeds into cryptocurrency accounts, which became worth about USD150 million.

During his January 26th plea, U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker of the Southern District of Ohio stated, "In the Singh organization's drug orders, the members frequently used the vendor name 'Liston' and signed off with the signature phrase, 'I'm still dancing.'" Banmeet Singh pleaded guilty today, so the dance is over.

According to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram, "Banmeet Singh operated a global dark web enterprise to send fentanyl and other deadly and dangerous drugs to communities across America — in all 50 states, as well as Canada, Europe, and the Caribbean." I agree. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is pleased with its collaboration with US and UK law enforcement to foil this plot, safeguard American citizens, and ensure that Singh faces justice.