A coordinated international operation has led to the arrest of 24 people allegedly connected to India-based transnational organised crime groups, with investigators linking the network to racketeering, extortion, shootings, drug trafficking and the 2023 killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.

Authorities in the United States, Canada and Europe said that a total of 37 individuals have been charged in the case. Among those named is jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who is currently lodged in Sabarmati prison in Gujarat. Investigators are also searching for 10 fugitives, including seven believed to be in the United States, two in India and one in Europe. 

Operation Hard Ball targets global crime network

The coordinated enforcement drive, named Operation Hard Ball, followed a years-long investigation into organised criminal groups with links to India.

“Today’s law enforcement action – “Operation Hard Ball” – is the result of a years-long federal investigation into Indian crime syndicates that engage in racketeering, targeted killings, shootings, extortion, the trafficking of bulk quantities of narcotics across international borders, and other crimes around the world whose impact is especially felt in the Indian diaspora,” the US Department of Justice said.

According to the US Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles, Bishnoi allegedly operated the criminal network from inside prison by using contraband mobile phones and internet-based communication devices. Prosecutors have also accused Bishnoi and his close associate Goldy Brar of ordering Nijjar’s assassination outside a Sikh temple in Canada on June 18, 2023.

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Bishnoi gang under global scrutiny

The indictments focus on the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, key associates such as Goldy Brar, and the Punjab-based Bhagwanpuria gang, which investigators say has members across the US, Canada, the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

The Department of Justice alleged that the Bishnoi gang used violence to create fear, particularly in India and among Indian diaspora communities worldwide. If convicted, several accused could face prison terms ranging from a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life imprisonment.

Indian investigators believe Anmol Bishnoi and Goldy Brar manage the gang’s overseas operations, including recruitment, weapons supply and financial transactions. The gang has also been linked to high-profile killings, including those of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique and Punjabi rapper Sidhu Moosewala.

NIA calls it the ‘new underworld’

India’s National Investigation Agency has described the network as the country’s “new underworld”. In a 2023 chargesheet, the agency said the nexus between gangsters and pro-Khalistan elements resembled the organised crime networks that operated before the 1993 Mumbai blasts. It also alleged that money generated through criminal activities was routed to countries including Canada, the US, Thailand and Australia.

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According to the NIA, the gang has around 700 members, while nearly 300 gangsters and mid-level criminals have been arrested in a wider crackdown since last year.

“Transnational criminal gangs who spread fear, drugs, and violence will face the full force of justice and the weight of the federal government,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli.

“Working together, law enforcement in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia are determined to target and dismantle these criminal organisations wherever they operate. There is no safe harbour for these thugs,” he added.

FAQs:

Why was Lawrence Bishnoi charged in the US-led Operation Hard Ball?

US prosecutors allege Lawrence Bishnoi directed a transnational crime network from prison and ordered the 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

What is Operation Hard Ball?

Operation Hard Ball is a multinational law enforcement crackdown targeting India-linked organised crime groups involved in extortion, shootings, drug trafficking and racketeering.