The story so far: On July 8, the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) announced indictment against three Punjab-linked transnational organised crime syndicates operating across India, Canada, the United States and Europe. Among the most significant allegations is that Lawrence Bishnoi (33), a Punjab-born gangster currently lodged in a high-security prison in Ahmedabad, Gujarat and his associate Satinderjeet Singh alias Goldy Brar ordered the June 2023 assassination of pro-Khalistan activist, designated as a terrorist by India, Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.
The investigation has also led to multiple arrests, major drug seizures and indictments alleging extortion, racketeering, murders-for-hire and drug trafficking. DoJ said 37 people have been charged so far. It said that 24 defendants, connected to the three India-based transnational organised crime groups charged with a litany of criminal acts, have been arrested in the U.S., Canada, and Spain. Law enforcement is looking for 10 fugitives – seven in the U.S., two in India, and one in Europe, they said.
Which are the three groups indicted by the U.S DoJ?
The central organisation in the U.S. case is the Lawrence Bishnoi Organised Crime Group (OCG). Prosecutors describe it as a transnational criminal enterprise headquartered in India but operating extensively in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and Australia. According to the indictment, the group was founded and led by Lawrence Bishnoi and continued to function even while he was incarcerated. Goldy Brar allegedly managed North American operations, while Rohit Godara oversaw activities in Europe.
The second organisation is the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria group, led by gangster Jagtar Singh alias Jaggu sBhagwanpuria, who is currently imprisoned at Silchar jail in Assam. U.S. authorities describe it as a separate transnational crime syndicate with a significant presence in India, Canada, the United States and other countries. According to prosecutors, the network has more than 1,000 members and associates worldwide. The group emerged as a rival to the Bishnoi organisation but allegedly developed its own international criminal infrastructure.
The third major network is associated with Ravinder Singh Dhanda, a Canada-based accused of running a large cross-border narcotics operation. This organisation primary focus islarge-scale movement of drugs between countries, particularly U.S and Canada.
Watch: US charges Lawrence Bishnoi, Goldy Brar over Nijjar killing in global crime crackdown
What exactly is the Bishnoi group’s role?
The DoJ accused the Bishnoi network of targeted killings, shootings, kidnappings, assaults and public threats to create a climate of fear among businessmen, celebrities and members of the Indian diaspora. The objective, according to investigators, was to facilitate extortion and enhance the gang’s reputation. The indictment also alleges that the group was involved in transporting cocaine and methamphetamine across North America and stealing narcotics shipments from rival trafficking organisations.
How did the Federal Bureau of Investigation unravel the Bishnoi gang?
According to the indictment, Sukhraj Singh Kang, a senior India-based lieutenant in the Lawrence Bishnoi OCG who directed and coordinated acts of violence committed by members and associates in the United States, Canada and elsewhere, provided key evidence.
According to prosecutors, on January 25, 2025, Sukhraj Singh Kang agreed to help Confidential Informant-1 (CI-1) recover what was presented as a debt of $100,000 to $200,000 through extortion, in return for a fee of $16,000. Investigators then provided a staged video purporting to show a shooting at the debtor’s residence. Members of the alleged conspiracy believed the video was real and used it to intimidate the intended victim.
In reality, the supposed debtor was undercover law-enforcement agent (UC-1). The indictment alleges that, over the following weeks, several accused—including Kang, Rajan Bhatti, Goldy Brar, Rohit Godara, Bhulwan and Sumit—communicated directly with UC-1, demanding money and issuing threats. Prosecutors say these conversations allowed investigators to document alleged extortion demands, threats against family members, negotiations over payments and the mechanisms through which money would be collected. The operation culminated in controlled handovers of extortion money in California involving alleged associates of the Bishnoi network.
The indictment alleges that, over the following weeks, several accused, including Kang, Rajan Bhatti, Goldy Brar, Rohit Godara, Bhulwan and Sumit, communicated directly with UC-1, demanding money and issuing threats. Prosecutors say these conversations allowed investigators to document alleged extortion demands, threats against family members, negotiations over payments and the mechanisms through which money would be collected. The operation culminated in controlled handovers of extortion money in California involving alleged associates of the Bishnoi network.
How WhatsApp was allegedly used?
The indictment repeatedly identifies WhatsApp as a key communication platform used in the alleged extortion scheme. Prosecutors say Rajan Bhatti contacted UC-1 over WhatsApp on February 5, 2025, demanding $200,000 and threatening to kill him if he did not pay. Bhatti allegedly continued using WhatsApp to issue threats, obtain information and coordinate payment arrangements. Later, on May 26 and May 29, 2025, Bhatti allegedly used WhatsApp to demand money, threaten harm to UC-1 and his family, and provide details for a payment drop in Riverside, California. The indictment also alleges that members of the Bishnoi organisation routinely used encrypted messaging applications such as WhatsApp to contact extortion targets around the world. Prosecutors say victims were threatened with violence against themselves or their relatives and were often reminded of previous acts of violence allegedly committed by the group in order to induce payment.
How Signal was allegedly used?
The indictment identifies Signal as another important communication platform in the alleged conspiracy. Prosecutors allege that Kang introduced CI-1 to Goldy Brar on a Signal call on February 12, 2025, to facilitate the collection of extortion payments. Thereafter, several defendants allegedly used Signal to negotiate payments and issue threats.
According to the indictment, on March 5, 2025, Goldy Brar and Sumit spoke with UC-1 over Signal and negotiated a partial payment. The following day, Rohit Godara allegedly used Signal to demand money. On March 7, Bhulwan and Brar allegedly spoke separately with UC-1 over Signal, directing how payments should be made and warning of consequences if money was not paid. On April 11, Godara and Bhulwan again allegedly communicated with UC-1 via Signal, with Godara threatening that the group would kill him after he had “embarrassed” them.
Where does the Nijjar killing fit into this?
The U.S. indictment alleges that Bishnoi and Goldy Brar ordered the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023. Prosecutors claim Bishnoi supplied information about the target and that associates carried out the killing outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia. The allegation places the Bishnoi network at the centre of one of the most sensitive diplomatic disputes between India and Canada in recent years. The murder strained the diplomatic relations between India and Canada, with the Canadian government of then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleging the involvement of “agents of the Indian government” and designating Indian diplomats as “persons of interest” in the investigation.
Though there was no statement from the External Affairs Ministry or the Union Home Ministry, Bill Essayli, first assistant, U.S. attorney, told a press conference that the “Indian authorities have been very cooperative and India is happy with today’s operations. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is conducting a parallel investigation into South Asian organised crime,” DoJ said.
What role does the Bhagwanpuria group allegedly play?
The Bhagwanpuria syndicate is alleged to specialise in extortion aided by influence and corruption. U.S. prosecutors allege that members cultivated links with corrupt public officials and police personnel and used those relationships to target rivals and pressure extortion victims. One of the most striking allegations is that a serving Punjab Police officer Gurinderjit Singh worked with members of the network and participated in extortion-related activities. According to the DoJ, the gang allegedly used both criminal threats and legal harassment to extract money from targets.
What next?
U.S officials said they will be seeking the extradition of all the accused persons. The investigations of Operation Hard Ball – in which 37 accused, including a serving Punjab Police inspector, were charged by the DoJ on Wednesday (July 8, 2026) – were jointly conducted by law enforcement in U.S., Canada, and Europe, and “is the result of a years-long federal investigation”, it said.
“These guys were not only (a) problem here but also in India… Some of them are already in jail in India but obviously that’s not enough to restrain their activities, but when they will be coming here [after extradition], I guarantee he won’t be extorting any more from victims as he will be in custody for a very long time,” Mr. Essayli said.
