United States authorities have charged jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his close associate Satinderjeet Singh, alias Goldy Brar, with ordering the assassination of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, as part of an FBI-led international operation that dismantled three transnational organised crime networks and resulted in 24 arrests across North America and Europe.
The charges were unveiled under "Operation Hard Ball", a multi-year investigation into criminal organisations accused of involvement in murder, extortion, drug trafficking, weapons offences and other organised crime activities spanning several countries.
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) said investigators carried out more than 50 search warrants and arrested suspects in California, Indiana, Georgia, Canada and Spain.
In announcing the coordinated enforcement action, the DOJ said 37 individuals have been charged in three separate federal indictments tied to three organised crime groups with links to India. Of those charged, 24 are in custody, while 10 remain fugitives.
One of the indictments centres on Lawrence Bishnoi, who remains incarcerated in India. US prosecutors allege that he continued to direct a global criminal enterprise from prison.
Court documents state that Bishnoi and Brar ordered the killing of Nijjar, identified in the indictment as "HSN", outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023.
Nijjar's killing triggered a diplomatic confrontation after then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that Indian government agents were linked to the murder, an allegation New Delhi rejected as "absurd and motivated".
According to the indictment, Bishnoi relied on contraband mobile phones and internet-based communication devices to manage alleged political assassinations, murders, extortion, kidnappings, drug trafficking, human smuggling and other criminal operations across multiple countries.
Prosecutors identified Goldy Brar as the syndicate's North American leader and Rohit Godara as the individual allegedly overseeing operations in Europe. The indictment alleges that both played central roles in coordinating the organisation's activities outside India.
US prosecutors further allege that the group used violence and intimidation, particularly within Indian diaspora communities, while amplifying its criminal reputation through social media and online posts to expand its influence.
The DOJ also claims the Bishnoi organisation financed its activities through international cocaine trafficking and extortion.
According to prosecutors, members of the gang used encrypted messaging platforms, including WhatsApp, to threaten victims, demanding millions of dollars and warning of violence against them and their families.
Investigators further allege that the syndicate stole cocaine shipments from rival trafficking groups and coordinated narcotics smuggling operations between the United States and Canada.
The second federal indictment targets the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria organisation, which prosecutors describe as another India-based criminal syndicate with operations reaching the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
According to the indictment, the organisation was involved in murder-for-hire, kidnappings, extortion, weapons trafficking and international drug smuggling, while allegedly relying on corrupt officials in India to target rivals and facilitate criminal activities.
A third federal indictment concerns an alleged Canada-based drug trafficking network led by Ravinder Singh Dhanda, 57, also known as "Randy", "Rolex" and "John Wick", of Vancouver.
Prosecutors said Dhanda, along with Jaskarn Baghri, 50, alias "Baba", of Surrey, British Columbia, Gurtej Singh Smagh, 43, alias "Simba", of Creston, British Columbia, and eight other defendants, was charged in an eight-count indictment returned on June 23.
US authorities allege that the network transported, smuggled and distributed hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine every week from the United States into Canada through long-haul transport routes using concealed shipments.
As part of the operation, investigators carried out dozens of additional searches, including 23 in the Sacramento area and 11 in Los Angeles.
The DOJ said authorities seized nearly 1,000 kilograms of cocaine, one kilogram of heroin, 12 firearms and $40,000 in cash during the crackdown.
US officials described the operation as one of the most significant international enforcement actions against organised crime groups operating across North America.
"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.
FBI officials said the coordinated action dealt a major blow to violent criminal organisations operating across several countries.
"Today’s coordinated operation strikes at the heart of three brutal transnational organisations that have terrorised families, exploited communities, and stolen lives through ruthless acts of violence in the US and abroad," said Patrick Grandy, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office.
The investigation was conducted jointly by the FBI, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, US Customs and Border Protection, and several other law enforcement agencies across North America and Europe.
Canada's national police force, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), welcomed the operation, describing it as a significant milestone in efforts to dismantle the three transnational organised crime networks allegedly led by Lawrence Bishnoi, Ravinder Dhanda and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria.
In a statement, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme said the force played a central role throughout the years-long investigation, working alongside the FBI and other international partners to identify and disrupt the criminal organisations.
The RCMP said it remains committed to identifying, investigating and dismantling organised crime groups that pose a significant threat to public safety in Canada, adding that cooperation with international law enforcement agencies will continue as the investigation moves forward.
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke also welcomed the enforcement action, describing the arrests as an important step towards addressing the extortion crisis affecting Surrey and other Canadian cities.
In a statement, Locke thanked law enforcement agencies in Canada, the United States and other countries for coordinating the investigation and bringing those allegedly responsible to justice.
She said the arrests reinforced long-standing concerns raised by local authorities that extortion cases targeting businesses were being orchestrated by sophisticated organised crime networks operating across international borders.
While describing the operation as encouraging, Locke said further efforts were needed to safeguard businesses, families and neighbourhoods from intimidation and violence.
"Public safety remains Surrey's top priority," Locke said, adding that the city would continue working with governments and law enforcement agencies to ensure intimidation, extortion and organised crime are not tolerated.
The arrests come as Canadian authorities face increasing concern over extortion threats directed at South Asian business owners, particularly in British Columbia and Ontario. Investigators have repeatedly linked several of those cases to organised crime groups operating across international borders. Surrey, where Nijjar was killed in June 2023, has been among the Canadian cities most affected by extortion complaints in recent years.
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