Operation Hard Ball: 24 people with links to India-based gangs arrested in US, Canada, Europe

In what is the biggest-ever international crackdown on any organised crime syndicate originating in India, the FBI has moved in coordination with other global law enforcement authorities to stage a massive operation to bust the notorious Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Named 'Operation Hard Ball,' the multi-jurisdictional police operation staged more than 50 simultaneous raids on July 7th in several locations in the US, Canada, and Europe.

US, Canadian, and European authorities have arrested 24 individuals in a major crackdown on India-based organised crime networks. One of the gangs has been accused for the first time of orchestrating the 2023 murder of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.

The operation, codenamed “Operation Hard Ball,” targeted three transnational syndicates and led to the unsealing of three federal indictments in Los Angeles charging a total of 37 defendants. Eleven arrests were made in California, with additional arrests in Indiana, Georgia, Canada, and Spain. Ten fugitives remain at large.

The most notable development is the accusation against the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Its leader, who is currently imprisoned in India, is alleged to have ordered the killing of Nijjar. On 18 June 2023, two gunmen shot the 45-year-old in Surrey, British Columbia. Canadian authorities have been investigating the murder amid longstanding tensions between India and Canada over Khalistani extremism.

According to the US indictment, Bishnoi, 33, and his North American lieutenant Satinderjeet Singh, known as “Goldy Brar”, directed the killing. " "Among the crimes alleged in the indictment is the assassination of a prominent political and religious leader, identified in court documents as “H.S.N.”from India’s Punjab state and who was living in Canada at the time of his death", U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California said in a statement.

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Busting Goldy Brar and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria networks

The main purpose of the Operation Hard Ball was the destruction of the logistical infrastructure of the two main affiliates of the Bishnoi cartel. These were the networks run by the fugitives Goldy Brar and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria.

Based on available information, several prominent figures of the Bishnoi cartel have illegally resided in states of California, some Canadian provinces, and Europe. Using these bases of operations, they not only conducted illegal extortion rackets and murder-for-hire operations in India but also started targeting and blackmailing wealthy Indians residing in foreign countries.

Shift in strategy

This international effort is evidence of a fundamental shift in the way international intelligence agencies view the syndicate. Although initially treated as a domestic Indian gang, its international connections and involvement in the politically sensitive assassination of political figures prompted an upgrade in the response from Western allies.

Designation as a terror group: The Canadian authorities officially designated the Lawrence Bishnoi gang as a terrorist outfit last year because of the serious threat it posed to public safety.

High profile transnational assassinations: The brother of Lawrence Bishnoi, Anmol Bishnoi, resided in the United States for several years. Authorities claim that Anmol was responsible for the high-profile murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique in Mumbai and a targeted drive-by shooting on Bollywood actor Salman Khan's house before his deportation to India.

Massive arrests underway in multiple states

As far as the US is concerned, the focus on tactical operations centered on operational safe houses in California. Some preliminary results of this multi-state operation are provided below:

Indian intelligence sources have long maintained that fugitives fleeing local prosecution use elaborate human-trafficking corridors to set up command nodes in Western nations. Operational commanders at the FBI confirmed that Operation Hard Ball remains active and ongoing, with further arrests and asset freezes expected as forensic teams parse seized electronic devices and financial ledgers.

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