A joint international law enforcement operation between the United States, Canada, and Europe led to the arrest of 24 individuals linked to three India-based transnational crime groups, the Justice Department announced on Tuesday.
Among the defendants charged on Tuesday notably stands 33 year-old Lawrence Bishnoi, an imprisoned gang boss leader who runs his crime syndicate from a jail in India. Bishnoi is one of the men linked to the 2023 assassination of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada — an incident that caused a significant diplomatic impasse between India and Canada at the time.
The Justice Department detailed that “Operation Hard Ball,” a years-long federal investigation into Indian crime syndicates, resulted in 37 defendants being charged on Tuesday.
“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 U.S. and abroad,” Patrick Grandy, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, said.
“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 continued.
File/ Gangster Anmol Bishnoi brother of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi arrived at Patiala House Court by NIA on November 19, 2025 in New Delhi, India. The younger brother of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi has emerged as a central figure in the Bishnoi syndicate’s global operations despite being only 25. (Ishant Chauhan/Hindustan Times via Getty)
The Justice Department detailed that, in total 37 defendants were charged across three unsealed indictments. Of the total, 11 were arrested in California, one in Indiana, and one in Georgia. Additionally, three defendants were arrested in Canada, one individual in Spain, and seven were already under law enforcement custody prior to Tuesday.
The defendants stand accused of engaging in racketeering, targeted killings, shooting, extortion, drug trafficking, and several other crimes around the world — particularly impacting the Indian diaspora. Approximately 1,000 kilograms of cocaine, one kilogram of heroin, $40,000 in cash, and a dozen firearms were seized by law enforcement agents during the investigation.
“Transnational criminal gangs who spread fear, drugs, and violence will face the full force of justice and the weight of the federal government,” First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli said.
“Working together, law enforcement in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia are determined to target and dismantle these criminal organizations wherever they operate. There is no safe harbor for these thugs,” he continued.
Ten fugitives — seven in the U.S., two in India, and one in Europe — are still at large. In addition to Bishnoi, 32 year-old Satinderjeet “Goldy Brar” Singh stands accused of ordering the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Satinderjeet Singh reportedly remains at large at press time while Bishnoi has been imprisoned since 2015.
Nijjar, who moved to Canada in 1997 and became a Canadian citizen in 2015, was part of the Khalistan Sikh separatist movement, a group whose goal is to carve out an independent ethnoreligious state in nortern India. The Indian government considers the Khalistan separatists movement as a significant threat to the nation’s integrity and national unity.
Nijjar was shot dead in Vancouver, Canada by masked assailants in June 2023. At the time, former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of allegedly planning Nijjar — triggering wide diplomatic tensions with the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Canadian police officers arrested and charged a group of Indian nationals over Nijjar’s killing in May 2024. Months later, in October 2024, Trudeau said that his government had no “hard evidence” that could link Indian agents with the killing of Nijjar. According to several outlets, the unsealed U.S. indictment charging Bishnoi and Singh does not allege any Indian government role in the killing of Nijjar.
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