The Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Matthew Podolsky, alongside FBI Assistant Director James E. Dennehy and CBP Director Francis J. Russo, announced charges against seven individuals involved in transnational drug trafficking conspiracies. The indictment, now unsealed, accuses the defendants of narcotics trafficking and firearms offenses under U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos.
The group led by Shehnaz Singh, known as "Shawn," allegedly imported cocaine from Colombia into the U.S., distributing it across various states and into Canada since October 2023. A subset of this group, led by Takdir Singh ("Romy") and Sarbsit Singh ("Sabi"), reportedly stole cocaine from their co-conspirators to distribute independently in New York City.
Law enforcement arrested four suspects on February 26, 2025. These arrests led to the seizure of firearms and significant quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine. Cheema was apprehended in California; Romy and Sabi were detained in Ohio; Franco was released under conditions after his arrest in New York.
Podolsky stated: “For more than a year, Shehnaz Singh and his associates not only imported dangerous drugs to sell across the United States but also armed themselves with deadly weapons and endangered communities here in New York City and around the country.” He praised law enforcement efforts to disrupt these networks.
CBP's Russo added: “Every day our CBP officers and law enforcement partners relentlessly pursue the most vicious and brutal criminal drug organizations in the world who do business globally and right here in our local communities.”
The investigation revealed that Shawn presented himself as a corrupt police officer while operating his drug trafficking organization using trucking networks for distribution across North America. Amritpal Singh ("Amrit") described the profitability of this trade from Colombia to Canada.
The prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at dismantling criminal organizations through coordinated efforts among multiple agencies.