An Indian man has been sentenced to more than five years in jail after admitting his role in a smuggling network that smuggled migrants from Britain to France by hiding them inside lorries. Jaskirat Singh, 25, from Wolverhampton, was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court after pleading guilty to conspiracy to assist illegal immigration, the BBC reports.The court heard that Singh played a central role in coordinating cross-Channel smuggling trips, arranging transport and logistics for migrants hidden inside heavy goods vehicles traveling to France.Evidence recovered from mobile phones linking Singh to the operation included messages arranging travel, videos showing large amounts of cash and a TikTok account that advertised the crossing.Prosecutors also relied on a voice note in which Singh claimed he was involved in the smuggling network for four years and had helped send about 60 people a week to France over a nine-month period.Judge Alison Russell said it appeared the operation involved a group of 15 people who were hidden inside lorries before being driven across the Channel. She told the court that Singh worked as a coordinator and logistics manager within the network and that the crimes were committed for significant financial gain.The court heard that investigators believe Singh made more than £185,000 through the scheme.Sentencing him, Judge Russell said the migrants were transported in unsafe and cramped conditions, putting them at serious risk. He said children could also be among those shifted during the operation.The smuggling conspiracy came to light when 11 Indian nationals were found hiding inside a lorry trailer stopped in Dover in December 2024. Investigators later linked Singh to that incident and another attempt to cross the border, leading officers to his address in Wolverhampton.District Crown prosecutor Peter Cockerill, of the Crown Prosecution Service South East, said Singh had played a key role in a criminal enterprise which put vulnerable people at risk.“Jaskirat Singh was a key participant in an organized immigration crime operation that placed individuals at grave risk for financial gain,” he said.Defense barrister Talbir Singh Casey told the court that Singh had moved to Britain at the age of 18 after his family moved from India to Italy and was working in the country legally. He argued that Singh was not the mastermind behind the operation and had worked under others involved in the conspiracy.The Crown Prosecution Service said it would now seek a confiscation order to recover the money earned from the smuggling operation.