Two Indian nationals living illegally in the United States were sentenced to 46 months in prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl.
Sundar Chebiam and Roshan Landge were caught after authorities intercepted a package containing 10,000 Tapentadol pills, a Schedule II controlled substance, sent from India to a Mobile gas station.
The operation began on February 1, 2023, when U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at JFK Airport flagged a suspicious package addressed to the gas station. Homeland Security Investigations and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office conducted a controlled delivery, leading to Chebiam’s arrest.
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Chebiam confessed to receiving packages of pills and redistributing them across the United States. He also revealed that he had more drugs at his residence, where he lived with Landge. When deputies arrived at the residence, they found Landge attempting to hide pills in his car. A search of the vehicle uncovered approximately 416.98 grams of fentanyl pills.
Both men admitted to their roles in the drug distribution scheme. The successful operation was a collaborative effort involving U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney George F. May prosecuted the case.
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