Arti Bali
New Delhi, Jul 8 (UNI) In a major international crackdown that is likely to revive focus on India's long-standing concerns over the nexus between organised crime and extremist networks operating overseas, law enforcement agencies in the United States, Canada and Europe have arrested 24 people linked to three India-based transnational criminal syndicates accused of carrying out murders, extortion, large-scale drug trafficking and the 2023 assassination of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.
The coordinated operation, codenamed Operation "Hard Ball," is the culmination of a years-long multinational investigation into criminal organisations allegedly directed from India by jailed gang leaders and operating across North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
The US Justice Department announced that 37 defendants have been charged in three federal indictments. Of them, 24 have been arrested—13 in the United States, three in Canada, one in Spain, and seven who were already in custody before the operation. Authorities are continuing to search for 10 fugitives, including two believed to be in India.
As part of the operation, investigators seized nearly 1,000 kilograms of cocaine, one kilogram of heroin, about USD 40,000 in cash, and a dozen firearms while executing dozens of search warrants in California.
The indictments allege that the criminal syndicates engaged in racketeering, contract killings, targeted assassinations, kidnappings, extortion, international narcotics trafficking, human smuggling, and firearms offences across several countries, using encrypted communication platforms and associates spread across the Indian diaspora.
In one of the most significant disclosures, US prosecutors alleged that the Lawrence Bishnoi syndicate ordered the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, identifying him in court documents as "H.S.N.", a prominent political and religious leader from Punjab who was shot dead outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023.
According to the indictment, Bishnoi and his Canada-based associate Satinderjeet Singh alias Goldy Brar directed the killing as part of a broader criminal enterprise that routinely targeted religious, social, and political figures to instil fear and facilitate extortion within diaspora communities.
The indictment alleges that the syndicate "routinely targeted prominent religious, social, and political leaders with violence, and used these high-profile acts to terrorize and extort members of the community."
The development is expected to strengthen India's long-held contention that extremist elements and organised criminal syndicates operating from foreign soil represent a serious security challenge. New Delhi has repeatedly urged partner countries, particularly Canada, to act against individuals involved in terrorism, organised crime, and anti-India activities, arguing that such networks exploit democratic freedoms while financing criminal enterprises.
Although the US indictments do not address the diplomatic dispute between India and Canada over Nijjar's killing, they place the assassination within the framework of transnational organised crime and allege that it was orchestrated by an international criminal enterprise rather than being an isolated act.
Announcing the operation, First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli said, "Transnational criminal gangs who spread fear, drugs, and violence will face the full force of justice and the weight of the federal government. Working together, law enforcement in the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia are determined to target and dismantle these criminal organizations wherever they operate. There is no safe harbor for these thugs."
Patrick Grandy, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office, said the operation struck "at the heart of three brutal transnational organizations."
"Today’s coordinated operation strikes at the heart of three brutal transnational organizations that have terrorized families, exploited communities, and stolen lives through ruthless acts of violence in the US and abroad. We, alongside our partners, remain steadfast in our commitment to identifying these violent organizations, disrupting their activities, and ensuring they face the justice they deserve," he said.
Highlighting the scale of international cooperation, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner Mike Duheme said the investigation had disrupted organised criminals who used "murder, cruelty and fear" to control communities.
"Together, we disrupted the operations of organized criminals who used murder, cruelty, and fear to extort and control people in both Canada and the United States. We won't pause for long to reflect on the work it took to get this job done—we'll keep doing what we do best to preserve public safety in Canada, in the United States, and around the world," he said.
According to the Justice Department, Lawrence Bishnoi, who has been imprisoned in India for years, allegedly directed a global criminal enterprise from jail using contraband mobile phones and internet-based communication devices. Prosecutors said he oversaw political assassinations, murders, kidnappings, extortion, drug trafficking and human smuggling through a network of trusted lieutenants spread across multiple continents.
The indictments further allege that the Bishnoi enterprise cultivated an image of fear among Indian diaspora communities by publicising violent attacks on social media and using threats of violence to extort businessmen and other victims in the United States and Canada.
Separate indictments unsealed by US authorities also target the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria syndicate and another Canada-based drug trafficking network allegedly responsible for transporting hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine across the US-Canada border every week.
The investigation involved the FBI, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, US Customs and Border Protection, and law enforcement agencies from Spain, alongside several American federal agencies. The FBI's Legal Attaché offices in New Delhi, Ottawa, Madrid, and Mexico City also assisted in the multinational investigation.
The case forms part of the US Homeland Security Task Force initiative aimed at dismantling transnational criminal organisations, foreign gangs, and international trafficking networks operating across borders.
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