Arrests Made During Operation Targeting India-Based Gangs
Authorities seized 1,000 kilograms of cocaine and 12 firearms as 37 defendants were indicted in the transnational crackdown.
- On Tuesday, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli announced 24 arrests across the U.S., Canada, and Europe as part of Operation Hard Ball, targeting India-based organized crime syndicates accused of racketeering, murders, and narcotics trafficking.
- Authorities indicted 37 defendants globally, with investigators linking the syndicates to a 2023 assassination of a prominent Indian political and religious figure in Canada and operations managed from prisons in India.
- Raids across California, primarily in Sacramento and Los Angeles, yielded 1,000 kilograms of cocaine, 1 kilogram of heroin, 12 firearms, and $40,000 in cash, coordinated by the FBI's Los Angeles field office and the Los Angeles Police Department.
- Of the 24 arrested, eleven are in California, with one each in Indiana and Georgia, three in Canada, and one in Spain; seven additional suspects remain in custody while seven others are fugitives.
- Essayli stated that transnational gangs spreading fear, drugs, and violence will face the full force of justice, adding law enforcement is "determined" to dismantle these operations.
61 Articles
61 Articles
Politicians, Sikh advocates respond to 'Operation Hard Ball' crackdown on 3 India-based crime gangs
Law enforcement officials described the arrests and charges as having dismantled leadership at the top of organizations that have preyed on the Indian diaspora for years, but Sikh advocacy groups said there are larger questions left unanswered.
From Punjab to the Pacific: Mapping the Bishnoi, Bhagwanpuria and Dhanda networks
Newly unsealed US indictments detail how syndicates led by Lawrence Bishnoi, Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and Ravinder Singh Dhanda allegedly ran transnational crime networks. The filings tie the groups to headline-making cases and outline a cross-border structure spanning extortion, killings and drug trafficking.
Lawrence Bishnoi's Gang Eliminated In US Under Operation Hardball; Cocaine, Cash & Firearms Seized
Declared a terrorist entity by the Canadian government in 2025, the gang led by Lawrence Bishnoi is one of the three targeted under Operation Hardball. 24 arrests have been made. Cocaine, heroin, $40,000 cash and a dozen firearms were confiscated during the raids.
US-led crackdown targets Bishnoi syndicate; 24 arrested
Law enforcement agencies arrested twenty-four individuals in a global operation targeting crime syndicates. These groups are accused of racketeering, killings, and international drug trafficking. One indictment links Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar to Hardeep Singh Nijjar's assassination. Authorities also seized significant quantities of cocaine and heroin during the extensive crackdown. This operation dismantled three major transnational organi…
FBI Announces Indictments Against 37 in Major Crackdown on India-Based Transnational Crime Syndicates
LOS ANGELES (VINnews) – The FBI and U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday unsealed three indictments charging 37 defendants linked to three India-based transnational organized crime groups with a wide range of violent crimes, including racketeering, targeted killings, extortion, kidnappings, drug trafficking and more. The operation, dubbed “Operation Hard Ball,” resulted in 24 arrests worldwide, including […]
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