The Times of India reported this week that Amritpal Singh, who was the subject of a U.S. federal wanted notice issued this month, died in a road accident on Feb. 19, 2025 in his native village of Mowai in Punjab’s Jalandhar district.
Allegations, charges and the reported death
The U.S. Department of Justice has accused a network described in court filings as the Ravinder Dhanda Organized Crime Group of smuggling bulk quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine into North America. On June 23, a federal arrest warrant was issued in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California for Amritpal Singh on charges including conspiracy to distribute and possess controlled substances.
Indian media reporting says Singh died last year when a scooter he was riding collided with a tractor trolley after the driver braked suddenly. The Times of India quoted family members saying he had returned from the United States months earlier and planned to remain in India. The FBI has not publicly confirmed the report of his death.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Feb. 19, 2025 | Reported date of fatal road accident in Mowai, Jalandhar district (Times of India) |
| June 23, 2026 | U.S. federal arrest warrant issued for Amritpal Singh (Central District of California) |
| July 7, 2026 | U.S. Attorney’s Office released information naming multiple alleged members of the Dhanda group |
Canadian links highlighted in U.S. filings
U.S. prosecutors have identified alleged principals in the network who live in Canada, including Ravinder Singh Dhanda, 57, of Vancouver, who is also known by the aliases “Randy,” “Rolex” and “John Wick.” Other named defendants include Jaskarn Baghri, 50, of Surrey, B.C., and Gurtej Singh Smagh, 43, of Creston, B.C., along with several additional individuals named in a July 7 news release.
The indictment and related court documents in California allege the organisation conspired to distribute controlled substances and to export controlled substances. Investigators say the group moved significant quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine to the United States, Canada and Mexico.
- Ravinder Singh Dhanda — named in the U.S. release as a principal alleged to be based in Vancouver.
- Other Canadian suspects — individuals from Surrey and Creston are listed among those charged.
- Amritpal Singh — subject of a June federal warrant; Indian media report he died in 2025, which has not been verified by U.S. authorities.
Implications and next steps
The reported death of a person named in a U.S. arrest warrant raises procedural and evidentiary questions for prosecutors. If confirmed, death would typically halt efforts to extradite and prosecute that individual, but would not affect ongoing cases against other named suspects in multiple jurisdictions.
Canadian law enforcement agencies have not been cited directly in the published U.S. news release summarising the charges, though the presence of alleged suspects in British Columbia underscores the transnational character of the investigation.
At this stage, U.S. authorities have publicly listed charges and named multiple defendants; the status of the individual reported to have died remains unconfirmed by the FBI or by Canadian officials. Media reports in India attribute the information about the fatal collision to family members in Mowai, including references to his parents and to the fact he had told acquaintances he intended to stay in India.
Further verification from the FBI or relevant Indian authorities would be needed to reconcile the outstanding questions about the reported death and to determine how it affects the broader legal proceedings connected to the alleged trafficking network.
— Reporting from the NEXO RADAR national desk
