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U.S. Charges 'Bishnoi' In Assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, as ... U.S. Charges 'Bishnoi' In Assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, as Sweeping Indictments Expose Indian Crime Syndicates Running Industrial Cartel-Linked Pipelines From LA To Canada Sam Cooper Jul 07, 2026 ∙ Paid 67 4 13 Share LOS ANGELES – Federal prosecutors unsealed three indictments Tuesday charging 37 defendants tied to India-based transnational crime syndicates, alleging for the first time in a court filing that imprisoned gang leader Lawrence Bishnoi and his Canadian lieutenant Satinderjeet Singh, known as “Goldy Brar,” ordered the June 18, 2023 assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia — a killing that ruptured relations between Ottawa and New Delhi and became one of the most consequential national security cases in modern Canadian history. The charges, announced jointly by the United States Department of Justice, the FBI and the RCMP under a years-long investigation code-named Operation Hard Ball, describe three distinct but overlapping criminal enterprises — led by Bishnoi, his imprisoned associate-turned-rival Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, and Vancouver-based logis…

US charges Indian criminal gang leader with organising murder of Canadian Sikh activist <p>Lawrence Bishnoi, who is in prison in India, is accused of orchestrating the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023</p><p>US authorities have announced charges against the leader of an Indian criminal group in connection with the political assassination of a prominent Sikh activist in Canada – a high-profile killing that strained diplomatic relations between Canada and India at the time.</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/16/who-is-lawrence-bishnoi-accused-of-masterminding-killings-in-canada">Lawrence Bishnoi</a> – the imprisoned head of an Indian criminal gang - and his childhood friend Satinderjeet Singh, are accused of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/20/advocate-separate-sikh-state-india-shot-dead-canada-hardeep-singh-nijjar-temple">orchestrating the assassination of a well-known Sikh</a> independence activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was fatally shot outside a temple where he served as president in 2023. Bishnoi is in custody, but Singh has not been apprehended.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/08/murder-canada-sik…

Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles announce charges against Indian ... Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles on Tuesday announced criminal charges against the prominent leader and eight associates of the Indian organized criminal group known as "Bishnoi," tying them to the 2023 assassination of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada. The indictment accuses Lawrence Bishnoi and another defendant of ordering the killing of "H.S.N." — the apparent initials for Hardeep Singh Nijjar , who was gunned down on June 18, 2023, near a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia . Nijjar was a well-known political dissident who advocated for the creation of a Sikh homeland in northern India that would be known as "Khalistan." India previously designated him a "terrorist" in connection with those advocacy efforts. The indictment alleges that two other unnamed co-conspirators pulled the trigger that day, but that Bishnoi took responsibility for the act. "On November 25, 2023, defendant Bishnoi claimed responsibility on behalf of the 'Lawrence Bishnoi Group' for a shooting that occurred on November 24, 2023 in Vancouver, Canada at the residence of R.G., a prominent Indian actor and singer, in an online pos…

Who is Gurinderjit Singh Nagra? FBI Accuses Punjab Police Officer of ... Updated 8 July 2026 at 18:23 IST Who is Punjab cop Gurinderjit Singh Nagra? The FBI has accused him of a cross-border plot to extort $400,000 from a US-based NRI family by threatening them with a fake murder case. Garvit Parashar India News 5 min read Follow : Who is Gurinderjit Singh Nagra? FBI Accuses Punjab Cop of Extortion | Image: X The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has named a Punjab Police officer, Gurinderjit Singh Nagra, in an alleged cross-border extortion case. US federal authorities accuse Nagra of attempting to extort $400,000 (approximately Rs 3.3 crore) from an Indian-origin family residing in the United States. The officer allegedly threatened to implicate the family's relatives in India in a fabricated murder case if the demand was not met. Who is Gurinderjit Singh Nagra? Gurinderjit Singh Nagra is an inspector with the Punjab Police. Before the serious extortion allegations surfaced, he was serving as the Station House Officer (SHO) of the Tanda police station, located in Punjab's Hoshiarpur district. Following the public disclosure of the FBI's investigation, he was imme…

Operation Hard Ball: 24 with links to India-based gangs arrested in US ... Law enforcement authorities in America, Canada and Europe announced the arrests of 24 individuals with links to India-based transnational organised crime groups for criminal acts like racketeering, shootings, extortion and even the 2023 assassination ofHardeep Singh Nijjarin Canada. In total, 37 individuals have been charged with a number of offences, including gangsterLawrence Bishnoi, who is currently imprisoned in India. A statement from the US Attorney’s office in Los Angeles alleges that Bishnoi and his lieutenants directed a transnational organised crime group from his jail cell “using contraband cellphones and other voice-over internet protocol devices smuggled into his jail cell” and charges them directly with ordering the assassination of Nijjar. The arrests came after a years-long investigation into the activities of organised crime groups with links to India, the authorities said. “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 tr…

Bishnoi gang faces global raids as US links it to Nijjar killing International National Bishnoi gang faces global raids as US links it to Nijjar killing US prosecutors have tied Indian crime syndicates to killings, extortion, drugs and diaspora threats, pushing the Bishnoi case beyond India-Canada politics into a wider criminal trial Shailesh Khanduri 08 Jul 2026 07:38 IST Follow Us New Update Lawrence Bishnoi New Delhi: US prosecutors have opened a major international criminal case against the Lawrence Bishnoi network and allied Indian-origin syndicates, announcing charges against 37 defendants and about two dozen arrests across the United States, Canada and Europe. The crackdown, codenamed Operation Hard Ball, was led by US law enforcement agencies and involved more than 50 raids, including action in California and other locations. Authorities said the case covered murder, racketeering, extortion, kidnapping, firearms offences, drug trafficking and weapons smuggling. Also read: After humiliating India over Nijjar killing, will Canada and US apologise? The case is important for India because it takes a network largely discussed through Indian gang wars, extortion calls, jail oper…

FBI accuses Punjab cop of $400,000 extortion bid, links him to US gang ... In a startling allegation involving a Punjab Police officer, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has accused Station House Officer (SHO) Gurinderjit Singh of trying to extort $400,000 from a family in the United States by threatening to implicate its members in a false murder case in India. The allegation surfaced during the announcement of ‘Operation Hard Ball’, a sweeping multinational crackdown on India-based transnational organised crime syndicates, under which US authorities unsealed three federal indictments against 37 accused. Addressing a press conference in Los Angeles, First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli alleged that the Punjab Police officer was part of an extortion conspiracy linked to the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria criminal syndicate. "He extorted a family here in the US for $400,000. He was going to charge their family in India for murder. I think he did actually file murder charges against the family in India until the victim actually agreed to pay money. We have charged him and we will extradite him to the US," Essayli said. According to the seven-count federal indictment titled Un…

Op Hard Ball: 1,000kg cocaine, murder and extortion charges, Bishnoi ... The US on Tuesday released formal charges filed against Indian gangsters, including Lawrence Bishnoi and his aides, describing the sweeping crackdown on these organised crime networks as ‘Operation Hard Ball’. The federal indictments identify Bishnoi and his North America-based aideGoldy Brarfor allegedly ordering the June 2023 assassination of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. TheBishnoicase was among the three indictments unsealed on Tuesday. Together, these charge 37 people. Eleven of the 24 people arrested were held in California, with one each in Indiana and Georgia. Three suspects were arrested in Canada and one inSpain, while seven were already in custody. Those held in the US were expected to make their initial court appearances on Wednesday. Ten fugitives remain at large - seven in the US, two in India and one in Europe. The US Justice Department’s release said Operation Hard Ball was a coordinated investigation by agencies in the US, Canada, Spain and India. Tracking criminal syndicates with roots in India, the statement said that the probe examined…

Wanted gangster Goldy Dhillon detained in Spain; India initiates ... CHANDIGARH: Acting on intelligence shared by the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) of Punjab Police, security agencies in Madrid, Spain, have detained wanted foreign-based gangster Gurpreet Singh alias Goldy Dhillon. He was named in the daylight murder of a pharmacy cashier in Sector 11, Chandigarh, had allegedly threatened AAP MLA Neena Mittal, and is also linked to several firing incidents in Canada. Dhillon, who is wanted in multiple criminal cases, was taken into custody by Spanish authorities following a sustained international operation coordinated by Punjab Police, central intelligence agencies and Chandigarh Police. Officials had been tracking his movements abroad for a considerable period before his detention. Officials said Indian agencies were pursuing his deportation or extradition through diplomatic and legal channels, while formal confirmation from the Spanish authorities is still awaited. He is wanted in the murder of Janaki Das, the cashier at Shri Kumar Medical Hall in Sector 11, Chandigarh. The incident took place on June 13, when Das was shot dead in a targeted attack that sent shockwaves acros…

US files charges against Indian crime boss Lawrence Bishnoi in ... - CNN A cameraman records seized evidence at a news conference at the Federal Building in Los Angeles, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Jae C. Hong/AP India Asia See all topics Facebook Tweet Email Link Threads Link Copied! Follow The United States has charged Lawrence Bishnoi, the imprisoned head of an Indian criminal gang, and his North American deputy with directing the 2023 murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep ​Singh Nijjar in Canada, which plunged relations between Ottawa and New Delhi into crisis. A ‌federal indictment unsealed in Los Angeles alleges Bishnoi and Satinderjeet Singh, also known as “Goldy Brar,” ordered the shooting of Nijjar outside a Sikh temple in the Vancouver suburb of Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023. The indictment says Bishnoi ​directed the operation from an Indian jail cell using smuggled cellphones and provided a co-conspirator ​with a photograph and multiple addresses of Nijjar’s to facilitate the killing. Singh, ⁠a childhood friend of Bishnoi, allegedly directed the North American operations of the criminal group, known as ​the “Lawrence Bishnoi Organized C…

Charges filed against Indian crime boss in assassination that strained ... Law enforcement officials at federal, local, and international agencies charged 37 alleged members of India-based transnational organized crime groups with multiple criminal acts, including the assassination in Canada of a prominent Indian activist. A cameraman records seized evidence at a news conference at the Federal Building in Los Angeles, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) An FBI Wanted poster for Satinderjeet Singh is displayed at a news conference at the Federal Building in Los Angeles, Tuesday, July 7, 2026.(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Seized evidence including firearms and drugs, is displayed at a news conference at the Federal Building in Los Angeles, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Authorities announced charges against the leader of an Indian criminal group on Tuesday in connection with the political assassination of a prominent Sikh leader in Canada — a high-profile killing that strained the diplomatic relationship between Canada and India at the time. The charges were part of a massive law enforcement operation involving agencies across the United States, Canada and Eur…

US may seek extradition of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, two others USlaw enforcementauthorities have indicated they will seek the extradition of several individuals from India linked to organised crime networks, after unsealing indictments on Tuesday against members of threeIndia-linked gangs as part of a coordinated action that saw 37 people charged. The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced a US $50,000 reward for information leading to the “arrest and extradition” of Goldy Brar, a key lieutenant of jailed gangsterLawrence Bishnoi. Both men were named as having ordered the 2023 assassination of pro-Khalistan figureHardeep Singh Nijjarin Canada. The indictments also identified Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and Ravinder Singh Dhanda on similar charges. The indictment unsealed on Tuesday does not explicitly call for Bishnoi’s own extradition. But US authorities said they want India’s already-imprisoned gang leaders brought into American custody to curtail their activities, alleging in the indictment that Bishnoi coordinated his gang’s expansion into new countries from his jail cell using smuggled phones and voice-over-internet-protocol devices. “Some of these guys are already in jail cel…

Gangsters jailed in India orchestrated California crimes, feds charge ... An image taken from a federal court indictment shows alleged members of an Indian organized crime group transporting a kidnapping victim from Manteca, Calif., to an apartment in Fresno. (U.S. District Court) By Brittny Mejia Staff Writer Follow July 7, 2026 Updated 10:19 AM PT 4 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X LinkedIn Threads Reddit WhatsApp Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here . See more from the L.A. Times in Google Search. Set us as preferred Federal, local and international authorities said they have arrested 24 alleged members of transnational organized crime groups based in India. Among those charged is Lawrence Bishnoi, 33, who allegedly personally directed crimes from his jail cell in India. Prosecutors say Bishnoi was behind the June 2023 assassination of a Sikh religious and political leader in British Columbia, Canada. Federal, local and international authorities have arrested 24 alleged members of transnational organized crime groups, including …

International sting arrests 24 over India-based organised crime <p>An international operation against Indian organised crime groups has led to 24 arrests, US officials said on Tuesday, including in connection with the assassination in Canada of a prominent Sikh figure.</p> <p>The sting involved law enforcement officials operating in the United States, Canada and Europe, who had together been probing crime syndicates that engage in racketeering, targeted killings, shootings, extortion and drug trafficking.</p> <p>Dozens of people have been charged, including two who US officials say ran their global criminal syndicates while in prison in India. All but 10 of them are now in custody.</p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media-- media--embed media--uneven media--tweet' data-original-src='https://x.com/cspan/status/2074555538176659519/video/1'> <div class='media__item media__item--twitter '><span> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2074555538176659519/video/1"></a> </blockquote> </span></div> </figure> <p>“Transnational criminal gangs who spread fear, drugs, and violence will face the…

Published 1:10 pm Tuesday, July 7, 2026 ByAnna Burns Hardeep Singh Nijjar, president of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, was shot and killed in his truck in the temple parking lot. (File photos: Sikh Community of B.C./Twitter and Tom Zillich) Indian gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar “ordered the assassination” of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the president of a Surrey Sikh temple, in 2023, newly released U.S. court documents allege. Nijjar, 45, was shot to death on June 18, 2023, in the parking lot of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, in the 7000-block of Scott Road in Newton. He was found in his truck. Nijjar was an ardent supporter of the Khalistani movement, which seeks to secure an independent Sikh nation in India, and his supporters maintain India’s government was involved in his killing. In May 2024, Amandeep Singh, Karan Brar, Kamalpreet Singh, and Karanpreet Singh were charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. This case is still making its way through the B.C. Supreme Court. The indictment only identifies the victim as H.S.N, but states he was killed outside the Guru Nanah Sikh Gurdwarah in Surrey on June 18, 2023. A February 2026 grand jury indictment in t…

US charges imprisoned Indian gang leader with ordering 2023 murder of ... Audio By Carbonatix By Ryan Patrick Jones July 7 (Reuters) – The United States has charged Lawrence Bishnoi, the imprisoned head of an Indian criminal gang, and his North American deputy with directing the 2023 murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, which plunged relations between Ottawa and New Delhi into crisis. A federal indictment unsealed in Los Angeles alleges Bishnoi and Satinderjeet Singh, also known as “Goldy Brar,” ordered the shooting of Nijjar outside a Sikh temple in the Vancouver suburb of Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023. The indictment says Bishnoi directed the operation from an Indian jail cell using smuggled cellphones and provided a co-conspirator with a photograph and multiple addresses of Nijjar’s to facilitate the killing. Singh, a childhood friend of Bishnoi, allegedly directed the North American operations of the criminal group, known as the “Lawrence Bishnoi Organized Crime Group.” Nijjar’s killing triggered a diplomatic crisis after then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said months later that Canadian authorities were “actively pursuing…

US indictment alleges Bishnoi ran crime syndicate from jail US federal prosecutors have alleged that jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi continued to run a vast international criminal syndicate from an Indian prison, directing murders, extortion, drug trafficking and human smuggling through contraband mobile phones and internet-based communication devices smuggled into his cell. The allegations are contained in a federal racketeering indictment unsealed in the US on Tuesday as part of “Operation Hard Ball”, a multinational crackdown targeting three organised crime groups accused of operating across North America, Europe and other regions. According to the indictment,Bishnoi built the organisation out of a student network he had developed in Punjab in the early 2010sbefore turning fully to criminal activity. Prosecutors alleged that after leaving campus politics behind, he transformed his associates and followers into a transnational criminal enterprise. Although Bishnoi was arrested by Indian authorities in 2015, US prosecutors claim he continued to lead the organisation from prison using smuggled cellphones and voice over internet protocol devices. Through those channels, they al…

Operation Hard Ball: 24 arrested in FBI's global crackdown on ... - Mint The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has announced that a total of 24 people have been arrested 24 across the US, Canada, and Europe in a coordinated international operation targeting three India-based organised crime groups, including theLawrence Bishnoigang. Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles said the arrests were the result of a years-long federal investigation into Indian crime syndicates that were engaged in targeted killings, extortion and drug trafficking around the world. According to a federal indictment in Los Angeles unsealed on Tuesday, Bishnoi, who has been imprisoned in India, and his close associate, Satinderjeet Singh, also known as Goldy Brar, have been charged with directing the 2023 murder of Sikh separatist leaderHardeep Singh Nijjarin Canada. In total, 37 defendants have been charged across three indictments unsealed on Tuesday. "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 in a statement. According to the indictment, Bishno…

US To Seek Bishnoi Extradition From India - idrw.org Home » US To Seek Bishnoi Extradition From India Share: X Facebook VK WhatsApp The United States plans to seek the extradition of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi from India to face sweeping federal racketeering charges, with investigators saying the move is aimed at preventing him from continuing to run a global criminal network from behind bars. The announcement came after US authorities unsealed an indictment charging Bishnoi, along with alleged lieutenant Satinderjeet Singh, also known as Goldy Brar, with directing a transnational criminal enterprise accused of murder, extortion, kidnappings and large-scale drug trafficking across North America and beyond. Speaking after the indictments were announced, RCMP Deputy Commissioner Lisa Moreland said US authorities intend to pursue Bishnoi’s extradition from India. “So what I think is the charges that were brought forward today, obviously under the RICO laws in the United States, it brings through that, as stated today, that they will bring him forward for extradition, to get him moved forward and to face charges in the United States,” Moreland told CBC News. The comments came in respon…

'Operation Hard Ball': El Monte raids tie Indian crime syndicates to ... Feds detail 'Operation Hard Ball' arrests U.S. and Canadian officials emphasized that the sweeping operation underscores an unprecedented level of international collaboration against cross-border violence. The Brief Law enforcement agencies across three continents have unsealed three federal indictments charging 37 operatives tied to global Indian crime syndicates for racketeering, targeted killings, and global drug smuggling pipelines. Imprisoned kingpins used smuggled contraband communication devices to orchestrate violent plots, which includes explicitly linking the Bishnoi enterprise to the 2023 assassination of a prominent Sikh leader in Canada. A coordinated international operation resulted in 24 arrests across the U.S., Canada, and Europe, the execution of 50 search warrants, and the seizure of over 1,000 kilograms of narcotics and dozens of weapons. LOS ANGELES - Federal authorities have unsealed three major indictments charging 37 defendants linked to India-based transnational organized crime groups following a multi-year collaborative probe. Operatives are accused of utilizing widespread violence, e…

Operation 'Hardball': FBI Indicts Gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi, Bhagwan ... In a major crackdown, US authorities on Tuesday filed an indictment against gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Jagdeep Singh aka Jaggu Bhagwan Puria. This is the first time that indictment proceedings have been initiated against them. The crackdown has been code named as "Hard Ball". The development comes as global federal authorities crackdown on Lawrence Bishnoi and his gang members is underway across US , Canada and Europe . Media reports in the United States have said that over two dozen members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang have been arrested while at least seven of them have been taken into custody in Stockton. Canada Designated Lawrence Bishnoi Gang As Foreign Terrorist Organisation Last year, Canada designated the Lawrence Bishnoi gang as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation. Bishnoi and individuals owing allegiance to his gang have been operating from Europe and Canada, threatening businessmen in India as well as overseas. Lawrence Bishnoi Is Lodged in Gujarat Jail Lawrence Bishnoi is lodged in a jail in Gujarat. His brother, Anmol Bishnoi, was deported from the US last year and is named as an accused in the…

Lawrence Bishnoi: India jailed him. Now Canada claims he’s ... - CNN India Asia National security Terrorism See all topics Facebook Tweet Email Link Threads Link Copied! Follow From his cell in a high-security Indian prison, Lawrence Bishnoi allegedly commands an empire. His throne room is a concrete box; his scepter a smartphone smuggled in to his confines. From there, the 32-year-old kingpin stands accused of threatening a Bollywood superstar, murdering a pop icon, and orchestrating a political assassination halfway across the world. Light-skinned with a thick mustache and a cold gaze, Bishnoi has long been accused by India’s top investigative body, the National Investigation Agency, of commanding a fearsome network of more than 700 members from behind bars, where he faces a litany of charges from criminal conspiracy and extortion, to murder and terror activities. Then last month he became the face of a designated terrorist entity in Canada – after Ottawa accused India of using his gang to carry out crimes against Sikh dissidents on Canadian soil. That designation elevated Bishnoi from being one of India’s most famous mob bosses – and a household name in his homeland – to an int…

U.S. Charges 'Bishnoi' In Assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, as Sweeping Indictments Expose Indian Crime Syndicates Running Industrial Cartel-Linked Pipelines From LA To Canada open.substack.com/pub/theburea...

Lawrence Bishnoi, Goldy Brar Charged by US in Nijjar Assassination ... News Desk Last Updated: 08 July 2026, 06:27 AM IST Share The charges stem from "Operation Hardball," a massive international investigation targeting three India-based crime syndicates. File: Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi (R) | Photo: ANI Washington: United States prosecutors have charged Lawrence Bishnoi, a prominent gangster currently jailed in India, and his associate Satinderjeet Singh, known as Goldy Brar, with orchestrating the 2023 assassination of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. An indictment opened in a Los Angeles federal court on Tuesday alleges that Bishnoi directed the targeted killing of Nijjar, who is referred to as 'H.S.N.' in judicial records. The shooting occurred outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, on 18 June three years ago. The charges emerge from a coordinated international clampdown codenamed 'Operation Hardball'. Law enforcement bodies across the US, Canada, and Europe have apprehended 24 individuals — including 11 detained in California — suspected of being linked to three India-based international organised crime syndicates accused of a wide array of cri…

Arrests made during operation targeting India-based gangs Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save (The Center Square) – An international crackdown on India-based organized crime gangs has resulted in 24 arrests in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Eleven of the defendants are in California. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli announced the arrests Tuesday morning in Los Angeles. The arrests were conducted as part of Operation Hard Ball. The operation involved the FBI's Los Angeles field office and the Los Angeles Police Department. Authorities said the criminal syndicates are charged with racketeering, murders, shootings, extortion and trafficking narcotics across international borders. “Transnational criminal gangs who spread fear, drugs, and violence will face the full force of justice and the weight of the federal government,” said Essayli, who discussed the arrests during a televised press conference. Essayli oversees the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California. Essayli said investigators believe the syndicates are linked to majo…

Lawrence Bishnoi gang faces major US crackdown; chargesheet filed on ... In a major crackdown on transnational organised crime, a US grand jury has filed an indictment against jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and members of his gang, accusing them of operating a sprawling international criminal network involved in murder, extortion, shootings, drug trafficking, kidnapping and human trafficking. According to the chargesheet,Bishnoicontinued to run the gang from prison, using mobile phones and internet-based calling services to coordinate operations. US authorities have alleged that his network expanded to several countries and operated across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia. The indictment claims the gang built an atmosphere of fear by publicly claiming responsibility for violent incidents on social media, while simultaneously using threats and intimidation to extort money from wealthy businessmen and celebrities. Investigators alleged that the gang issued death threats through WhatsApp messages and voice notes and demanded extortion money running into crores of rupees. The gang is also accused of building a cross-border narcotics network, th…

What Sparked Massive US Crackdown On Lawrence Bishnoi Gang? Explained By Ajeet Kumar Wed, 08 Jul 2026 09:51 AM (IST) Source: JND Related Articles HighLights US charges Bishnoi, Brar in Nijjar assassination. "Operation Hardball" leads to 24 global arrests. Crackdown targets transnational organized crime syndicates. Washington: In a massive crackdown against the Indian-origin gangster, the US has charged Lawrence Bishnoi, a gangster imprisoned in India, and his aide Satinderjeet Singh alias Goldy Brar for ordering the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in November 2023. According to a federal indictment unsealed in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Bishnoi ordered the killing of Nijjar, mentioned as ''H.S.N.'' in court documents, outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18 three years ago. What is "Opertation Hardball"? In a coordinated action named ''Operation Hardball,'' the law enforcement agencies of the US, Canada and Europe arrested 24 persons – 11 of them in California – connected to three India-based transnational organised crime groups charged with a litany of criminal acts, including Nijjar's assassination . As part of Operation "Hard Ba…

Wanted Gangster Goldy Dhillon Detained In Spain; India Begins ... Wanted gangster Gurpreet Singh, alias Goldy Dhillon, has been detained by security agencies in Madrid, Spain, following an international operation involving the Punjab Police’s Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), central intelligence agencies and Chandigarh Police. Indian authorities have now initiated the process to bring him back through deportation or extradition, although formal confirmation from the Spanish authorities is still awaited. Dhillon has been on the radar of Indian agencies for multiple criminal cases. Investigators had been tracking his movements overseas for a considerable period before Spanish authorities took him into custody. Police believe his detention marks a significant development in efforts to crack down on organised crime networks being operated from abroad, though the legal process to secure his return to India could take time, TNIE reports. A key breakthrough in multiple criminal cases Dhillon is wanted in the murder of Janaki Das, a cashier at Shri Kumar Medical Hall in Sector 11, Chandigarh, who was shot dead in a targeted attack on June 13. The killing had sent shockwaves across the cit…

US Drops Bombshell In Nijjar Killing Case, Names Lawrence Bishnoi | Times Now Indian gangster Lawrence Bishnoi ordered the killing of wanted and designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, US officials said on Tuesday. Nearly three years after then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed he had "credible evidence" that Indian agents were responsible for Nijjar's killing, the US Department of Justice unsealed an indictment against Lawrence Bishnoi. NIA had named Nijjar in several chargesheets accusing him of carrying out targetted killing. India had asked Canada for his extradition. Investigations by security agencies revealed Nijjar had links with Arsh Deep Dalla, a wanted terrorist, a fugitive based in Canada. Breaking It Down Who is Goldy Brar and what are his charges? What recent actions have US authorities taken against Lawrence Bishnoi's gang? How has the Lawrence Bishnoi gang impacted Canadian cricket? Created with AI. "No later than June 18, 2023, defendants Bishnoi and Singh ordered the assassination of H.S.N., a prominent religious and political leader from the Indian state of Punjab who was living in British Columbia," a US Department of Justice filing before a gra…

Punjab cop faces US extradition after FBI links him to $400k gang ... Washington/Chandigarh/Jalandhar: US law-enforcement authorities will seek the extradition of Punjab Police inspector Gurinderjit Singh Nagra for allegedly attempting to extort $400,000 (approximately₹3.81 crore) from a Los Angeles family by threatening to frame their relatives in Punjab in a false murder case. According to federal indictments unsealed in Los Angeles on Tuesday as part of ‘Operation Hard Ball’, Gurinderjit Singh—also known as Gurinderjit Singh Nagra, Gurinder Jeet Singh, and Rajinder Singh—worked hand-in-glove with members of the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang to target civilians with false accusations and demands for money. At present, Nagra is posted as the station house officer (SHO) at Hoshiarpur’s Tanda police station. The details, laid bare in US court documents, show how corruption in Punjab enabled global criminal gangs to thrive across continents. A US department of justice (DOJ) official made these disclosures in a press statement in California on July 7. Taking cognisance of the FBI investigation, Punjab Police has shifted Nagra to the Police Lines in Hoshiarpur with immediate effect. Jala…

Canada says no evidence connects Indian government to Nijjar murder The Canadian police said on Wednesday that there is no evidence linking Indian government officials to the 2023 killing of Canadian citizen and Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, nearly three years after former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged security agencies were probing credible allegations of a “potential link” between Indian agents and the murder. The development came as newly unsealed indictments by the US Department of Justice identified gangster Lawrence Bishnoi as responsible for Nijjar’s killing. “There is no evidence to suggest that through this organised crime syndicate investigation and the charges laid forward that Indian government officials would be charged or involved in this….nothing has come out to link the Indian government,” Lisa Moreland, Deputy Commissioner, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), told Canadian TV channel CBC News. Trudeau’s allegations, which India had rejected as “absurd” and “motivated”, had led to a strain in bilateral ties between India and Canada. Moreland added that investigations are still underway, based on the arrests and seizures that have taken pl…

Operation Hard Ball: 24 arrested in global Indian gang crackdown The Brief An international law enforcement operation targeting India-based crime syndicates led to a major Atlanta gang arrest as part of 24 global takedowns. Federal officials indicted 37 people accused of running massive transnational networks involved in drug trafficking, political assassinations, and multi-million-dollar extortion schemes. Investigators seized nearly 1,000 kilograms of cocaine, weapons, and cash while executing dozens of search warrants across multiple continents. Federal authorities arrested 24 suspected members of violent, India-based transnational organized crime syndicates on Tuesday, including one person caught from Georgia, following a massive international investigation into global racketeering and drug trafficking. Global syndicates dismantled What we know: Law enforcement agencies in the United States, Canada, and Europe executed a coordinated crackdown called " Operation Hard Ball " against three distinct crime rings. A total of 37 defendants face charges across three separate indictments unsealed on Tuesday, including two ringleaders who allegedly ran their global operations from insid…

Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing | US charges Lawrence Bishnoi, Brar; no ... Almost three years after the then Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau alleged a “potential link” between Indian government agents and the killing of pro-Khalistan figureHardeep Singh Nijjar, bringing bilateral ties to a standstill, the US has charged gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and aide Goldy Brar with ordering the assassination. Later, Canadian police said there was “no evidence” of any official involvement from India in the killing. The latest twist in the Nijjar case came after a US-led operation against three criminal gangs involved in transnational crimes, including one led by Bishnoi (33) who is lodged in a Gujarat jail. The two other gangs indicted by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) include one headed by Jaggu Bhagwanpuria (38) from Punjab, a Bishnoi associate-turned-rival who is lodged in an Assam jail, and another led by Canada-based Ravinder Singh Dhanda (57). Called “Operation Hardball”, the coordinated action by law enforcement from the US, Canada and Europe led to the arrest of 24 people connected to three Indian crime syndicates, now charged with a series of crimes including Nijjar’s assa…

U.S. indicts Bishnoi gang leaders and others in B.C. for trafficking ... Arrests are made in northern California on Tuesday, July 7, 2026 in a sweeping U.S. investigation called Operation Hard Ball, targeting India's Bishnoi gang and two other transnational crime groups. Photo by FBI Article content Several B.C. gangsters are among 24 arrested and charged with acts of violence and drug trafficking after a sweeping U.S. investigation targeting India’s Bishnoi gang and two other transnational crime groups. Sign In or Create an Account or View more offers Article content The U.S. Department of Justice announced the charges on Tuesday, including against two Bishnoi gang members accused of being behind the June 18, 2023, murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside Surrey’s Guru Nanak Gurdwara. Article content We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Try refreshing your browser, or tap here to see other videos from our team . We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Try refreshing your browser, or tap here to see other videos from our team . Play Video Article content Article content “Today’s law enforcement action — ‘Operation Hard Ball’ — is the result of a years-long feder…

37 charged after international Indian criminal activity distributes ... Business Facebook X Pinterest WhatsApp Released July 7, 2026 7:30 AM PDT El Monte raids part of’Operation Hard Ball’ Federal and global police have actually charged 37 people linked to India-based multinational the mob groups associated with a 2023 assassination in Canada, worldwide extortion, and narcotics trafficking. LOS ANGELES – In an enormous global sweep code-named “Operation Hard Ball,” 37 operatives connected to worldwide Indian criminal activity distributes have actually been charged throughout 3 continents, straight connecting the violent network to the brazen 2023 political assassination of a popular spiritual leader outside a Canadian temple. What we understand: 3 different federal indictments unsealed in Los Angeles detail a large network of racketeering, targeted killings, and drug smuggling. The operations were greatly managed by locked up gangsters using smuggled interaction gadgets, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The unsealed indictments expose an extremely arranged, multi-continental network where sent to prison kingpins flawlessly worked together with global cells to perform v…

U.S. indicts dozens linked to Bishnoi gang and other transnational crime groups, including BC residents. Two Bishnoi leaders ordered the 2023 murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, one of three indictments says vancouversun.com/news/crime/u...