Authorities Arrest Members of India-Based Gangs in Sweeping Crackdown

Key Points:

• Federal authorities launched "Operation Hard Ball," a major crackdown targeting a global criminal network exploiting Indian diaspora communities, linked to the 2021 assassination of a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia.
• The investigation uncovered a complex web of crimes including drug smuggling, extortion, and gun trafficking orchestrated from India by imprisoned gang leaders using international operatives and smuggled cellphones.
• Over three dozen individuals were indicted, including Lawrence Bishnoi, a convicted gang leader jailed in India, and his rival Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, both central figures in the network operating out of Punjab, India.
• Authorities arrested 17 suspects across multiple locations including California, Indiana, Georgia, Spain, and Vancouver, with several others already in custody and additional suspects still sought.
• The FBI emphasized that the arrests dismantled extensive criminal organizations responsible for violence and exploitation in the U.S. and abroad, particularly impacting families and communities.