2 Indian men accused of conspiring to smuggle people into US

NEWARK, New Jersey (AP) — Two Indian nationals conspired with an undercover federal agent to smuggle people from Thailand to New Jersey, prosecutors said Thursday.

Nileshkumar Patel and Harsad Mehta were arrested Wednesday at Newark Liberty International Airport and were remanded into custody after a brief appearance before a judge Thursday on smuggling and conspiracy charges. Messages left seeking comment from attorneys for the men weren't immediately returned.

Patel and Mehta met with an undercover Homeland Security Investigations agent on multiple occasions in Bangkok starting in April 2014 and paid the agent $35,000 to $50,000 to have six Indians smuggled into New Jersey even though they didn't have legal clearance to come to America, Special Agent Douglas Doherty said in a criminal complaint.

Patel was involved in all six cases, and Mehta in four, prosecutors said.

The sting operation began in June 2013 when an HSI investigation revealed a smuggling operation that was "attempting to find methods to illegally smuggle aliens from India to the United States," Doherty said. The investigation found that the organization recruited Indians and others to pay them to get them to the United States.

Patel began contacting the undercover agent, whom he believed was a smuggler, telling him he wanted to "discuss sending 'packages' to the United States," Doherty said. Patel later told the agent that he had been smuggling people into the United States since 1998, Doherty said.

The undercover agent met on various occasions with the men in Bangkok from April 2014 to January 2015, Doherty said. There, prosecutors said, they agreed to pay a $10,000 down payment for each individual with the rest promised to be paid when the people arrived in the U.S.

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-10-24

Hang them from the nearest tree branch.

How hard would it be to get them a K-Visa? DHS hands them out to Indians like they are candy.

New Jersey has to get people to go there somehow.

"Patel and Mehta met with an undercover Homeland Security Investigations agent on multiple occasions in Bangkok"

In Bangkok? Interesting.

New Jersey has to get people to go there somehow.

Paying $50,000 to be smuggled into Newark sounds like the makings for a new TV sitcom.

New Jersey has to get people to go there somehow.

Paying $50,000 to be smuggled into Newark sounds like the makings for a new TV sitcom.

Back in the 1970s, there was an episode of the Rockford files where Jim goes to New Jersey. As he's leaving the airport in his rented car, the turn indicator doesn't work, so he gives a left hand turn hand signal. When he does, a passerby pulls his watch off his wrist and runs away. Jim gives pursuit, and while he does, someone steals the rental car. Life in Newark, apparently.

"Patel and Mehta met with an undercover Homeland Security Investigations agent on multiple occasions in Bangkok"

In Bangkok? Interesting.

First time I ran into DHS guys abroad was in Dubai quite a few years ago by now. Shook their hands and asked them if they had gotten lost.... LAX is that way >>. LOL. Pretty neat though, they were working on the emerging logistics security issues prevalent at that time ~ dirty bombs in shipping containers.

Like any good government org, they've expanded, ICE, et al.

http://www.ice.gov/international-operations

No offence to people from Newark, but I had occasion to work in beautiful downtown Newark several times, and it's the only place I've ever been to where the Bagel shop I went to had an armed guard... Not a place I'd like to be smuggled too.

Most people I have known from Newark are trying to get out of it!

Why would anyone want to leave Thailand?

^^Grass is....damper in Newark

"Patel and Mehta met with an undercover Homeland Security Investigations agent on multiple occasions in Bangkok"

In Bangkok? Interesting.

"an undercover Homeland Security Investigations agent on multiple occasions in Bangkok"

Are they also Indians?

(Would need more tree branches)

No offence to people from Newark, but I had occasion to work in beautiful downtown Newark several times, and it's the only place I've ever been to where the Bagel shop I went to had an armed guard... Not a place I'd like to be smuggled too.

Where is Newark ?

In Africa?

:-P

Why would anyone want to leave Thailand?

Money of course.

No offence to people from Newark, but I had occasion to work in beautiful downtown Newark several times, and it's the only place I've ever been to where the Bagel shop I went to had an armed guard... Not a place I'd like to be smuggled too.

Guess you've never been to Baltimore then.

No offence to people from Newark, but I had occasion to work in beautiful downtown Newark several times, and it's the only place I've ever been to where the Bagel shop I went to had an armed guard... Not a place I'd like to be smuggled too.

Guess you've never been to Baltimore then.

Edited October 25, 201510 yr by 55Jay

No offence to people from Newark, but I had occasion to work in beautiful downtown Newark several times, and it's the only place I've ever been to where the Bagel shop I went to had an armed guard... Not a place I'd like to be smuggled too.

Guess you've never been to Baltimore then.

I had a consulting job that took me all over the States. Baltimore... the land of the Ravens and Edgar Allen Poe, I had to walk right by Johns Hopkins and into the war zone, I wore a hoody and kept my head down... No if I were to be smuggled into the US give me Malibu beach San Fran or somewhere in northern California.

Well done to the US agents. Everyone needs to know that you can be invited to enter a country and gain a visa. Not to invade a country.

Forget the smugglers. All the Thais need to do is claim political asylum.

Yes, just avoid the school shootings.

No offence to people from Newark, but I had occasion to work in beautiful downtown Newark several times, and it's the only place I've ever been to where the Bagel shop I went to had an armed guard... Not a place I'd like to be smuggled too.

Sooo it sounds like Newark folks really love bagels.

No offence to people from Newark, but I had occasion to work in beautiful downtown Newark several times, and it's the only place I've ever been to where the Bagel shop I went to had an armed guard... Not a place I'd like to be smuggled too.

Guess you've never been to Baltimore then.

I had a consulting job that took me all over the States. Baltimore... the land of the Ravens and Edgar Allen Poe, I had to walk right by Johns Hopkins and into the war zone, I wore a hoody and kept my head down... No if I were to be smuggled into the US give me Malibu beach San Fran or somewhere in northern California.

No if I were to be smuggled into the US give me Malibu beach San Fran or somewhere in northern California.

Try Jefferson County in NoCal. They are in the process of attempted to secede and become the 51st state.

No offence to people from Newark, but I had occasion to work in beautiful downtown Newark several times, and it's the only place I've ever been to where the Bagel shop I went to had an armed guard... Not a place I'd like to be smuggled too.

Guess you've never been to Baltimore then.

I had a consulting job that took me all over the States. Baltimore... the land of the Ravens and Edgar Allen Poe, I had to walk right by Johns Hopkins and into the war zone, I wore a hoody and kept my head down... No if I were to be smuggled into the US give me Malibu beach San Fran or somewhere in northern California.

No if I were to be smuggled into the US give me Malibu beach San Fran or somewhere in northern California.

Try Jefferson County in NoCal. They are in the process of attempted to secede and become the 51st state.

I think Jefferson County's too late for 51st spot, Canada has that one in the bag, they'll have to settle for 52nd... But joking aside, are you serious?... Our poor "smuggler's" won't know where the heck they are, or which passport to forge !

Forget the smugglers. All the Thais need to do is claim political asylum.

Did you even read the article? Indians were trying to smuggle Indians into the US.