Drugs hidden within shipment of fabric softener: Indian-origin Canadian resident arrested in New York with 109 kilograms of cocaine

31-year-old Vishavpal Singh, an Indian residing in Canada, was arrested and charged for possession of drugs with the intent to distribute -- a charge that carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a fine of $10,000,000.The arrest was made after Singh entered New York after his cross-country trip. US attorney Michael DiGiacomo said this was one of the largest seizures ever at international border crossings in the Western District of New York.

“The investigative efforts of our law enforcement partners is a very important step in preventing this vast amount of illegal narcotics from ending up on the streets of our community, and those attempting to smuggle this cocaine into our neighborhoods will be held accountable," the attorney said.

Singh was transporting hundreds of pounds of cocaine through multiple states but federal agents kept an eye on his tractor-trailer. After it entered New York, it was stopped and agents uncovered 108 kilos of cocaine inside boxes comingled within a large shipment of fabric softener.

Truck driver Singh was associated with a previous seizure of approximately 228 kilograms of cocaine in July 2025, at the Detroit Ambassador Bridge Port of Entry. An individual, identified as Pawanjit Gill, was arrested after bulk quantities of cocaine were found during an inspection of his outbound traveling commercial vehicle. The arrest of Gill led the investigators to Singh.

As investigators were already tailing Singh, they were alerted when Singh started traveling within the United States with his tractor-trailer.

Singh made an initial appearance before US.Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and is being held pending a detention hearing on August 19.

According to Justice Department documents, this case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).