Punjab Outlook

A former international student from India, Jatinderpal Singh, received a nearly decade-long prison sentence this month in Saskatoon after pleading guilty to drug trafficking and possession of the proceeds of crime.
Singh, 26, was arrested on August 30, 2024, following about a month of police surveillance. Authorities found him carrying mid-sized bags of methamphetamine and fentanyl, along with a hotel key to a Thriftlodge on Idylwyld Drive. A search of the hotel room uncovered kilogram quantities of meth and fentanyl, approximately 500 grams of cocaine, scales, baggies, a sales ledger, and $77,546 in cash.
Court documents revealed Singh’s involvement in the drug trade lasted roughly four weeks. Originally enrolled at a university in Ontario, he completed his first year but could not afford tuition for his second year. His student visa expired, and he began borrowing money from friends and family to cover living costs.
Judge Lisa Watson highlighted that Singh had planned to return to India in November 2024 but sought to repay his debts first. A “friend of a friend” introduced him to a group promising weekly earnings of $10,000 to $12,000 from selling drugs, although Singh’s highest weekly take was about $3,800.
According to court records, Singh connected with the group via the encrypted messaging app Signal. Ten days later, he was flown to Saskatoon and directed to the hotel room where most of the drugs and around $20,000 cash were already present. The money seized by police represented profits from just one week. Singh admitted he followed instructions on who to sell to and when, without fully understanding the substances he was distributing.
The day before his arrest, Singh reported seeing police surveillance to the group, who dismissed his concerns. He was arrested the next day.
Despite no prior criminal record, Judge Watson emphasised the severity of Singh’s actions, citing the public health harm caused by meth and fentanyl. “Those who profit from the misery of the public must be sentenced in accordance with the harm they have caused,” Watson wrote. Singh’s prison term will be followed by deportation to India.