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An international law enforcement operation targeting India-linked organised crime groups has resulted in 24 arrests, US officials said Tuesday, with suspects tied to a wide range of violent and transnational offences.
The coordinated crackdown involved agencies from the United States, Canada and several European countries, focusing on syndicates engaged in racketeering, targeted killings, shootings, extortion and drug trafficking.
Dozens of individuals have been charged, including two alleged ringleaders who US authorities say continued to run global criminal networks from prison in India. All but 10 of the accused are now in custody.
“Transnational criminal gangs who spread fear, drugs, and violence will face the full force of justice,” said First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli.
Among the key cases is the 2023 assassination of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Sikh activist advocating for an independent Khalistan.
Prosecutors allege that Lawrence Bishnoi, 33, directed the killing from his prison cell in India. His network has been designated as a terrorist organisation in Canada.
Authorities said Bishnoi cultivated a public image as a religious “patriot” to attract followers, while privately overseeing a vast criminal enterprise spanning multiple continents, including political assassinations, kidnappings, extortion and human smuggling.
Also charged is Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, 38, an imprisoned Indian gangster and former associate of Bishnoi, who later became a rival.
Investigators say he leads a separate network with more than 1,000 members operating across North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
He faces charges related to murder-for-hire, drug trafficking and weapons smuggling.
In a separate case, Ravinder Singh Dhanda, 57, of Vancouver, is among 11 suspects accused of running a large-scale drug smuggling ring that allegedly moved hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine weekly from the United States into Canada.
“Today’s coordinated operation strikes at the heart of brutal transnational organisations that have terrorised communities and stolen lives,” said Patrick Grandy, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.