&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Lawrence Bishnoi, Goldy Brar charged in US over killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar")
New Delhi: US, Canadian and European authorities have arrested 24 people in a sweeping crackdown on India-based organised crime groups, with one gang accused for the first time of orchestrating the 2023 killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.
The operation, codenamed “Operation Hard Ball”, targeted three transnational syndicates and resulted in the unsealing of three federal indictments in Los Angeles charging 37 defendants in total. Eleven arrests were made in California, with others in Indiana, Georgia, Canada, and Spain. Ten fugitives remain at large.
The most significant development involves the action against the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, whose leader, currently imprisoned in India, is accused of ordering Nijjar’s killing. On 18 June 2023, two gunmen shot the 45-year-old in Surrey, British Columbia. Canadian authorities have long investigated the murder amid heightened 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,” US Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, said in a statement.
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Canada designated the Bishnoi gang a terrorist entity in September 2025. The gang is also accused of extorting victims in California and Canada, stealing hundreds of kilogrammes of cocaine from rivals in the Los Angeles area, and threatening prominent figures in the Indian diaspora. In one instance, Bishnoi claimed responsibility for a shooting at the home of a Canadian Indian actor and singer.
Two other India-linked groups were also targeted in the operation. The Jaggu Bhagwanpuria syndicate, a rival to Bishnoi, faces charges of murder-for-hire and drug trafficking. A third network led by Canadian-based Ravinder Singh Dhanda allegedly smuggled hundreds of kilogrammes of cocaine and methamphetamine weekly from California into Canada using lorries.
Authorities seized about 1,000 kg of cocaine, 1 kg of heroin, $40,000 in cash and around a dozen firearms. The operation involved the FBI, LAPD, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and other agencies across multiple continents.
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US officials described the gangs as spreading fear and violence within Indian diaspora communities. “Transnational criminal gangs… will face the full force of justice,” said First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli.
RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme emphasised the importance of international cooperation against groups using “murder, cruelty and fear”. The charges include racketeering conspiracy, extortion and drug trafficking, with many defendants facing potential life sentences if convicted. All remain presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Indian officials have long argued that Canada has failed to act decisively against pro-Khalistani extremists and associated criminal gangs, allowing them to threaten Indian diplomats, community members and opponents. Tuesday’s development will essentially help assuage India’s concern after crackdown on criminal gangs.
