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    COVER STORY                                                               JULY 17, 2026    |  The Indian Eye                    4

                                                 BISHNOI-BRAR GANG

                             HOW THEY

                    GOT BUSTED

                         The sweeping US crackdown on Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar marks
                     the first time US investigators have publicly mapped the international reach of

                                                 an India-based organized crime network

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            work, while the Bhagwanpuria orga-
                                                                                                                  nization-maintained members across
            Washington, DC / New Delhi
                                                                                                                  the United  States, Canada, Britain,
                     hen the US Department of                                                                     Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
                     Justice unveiled “Opera-                                                                         Collectively, these allegations
            Wtion Hard Ball” this week,                                                                           suggest investigators are examining
            it did more than announce criminal                                                                    an ecosystem rather than isolated
            charges against some of India’s most                                                                  gangs.
            notorious gangsters. It signaled a fun-                                                                   Once  largely  confined  to  Pun-
            damental shift in how Western law                                                                     jab’s gang wars, Lawrence Bishnoi
            enforcement agencies view organized                                                                   has emerged as one of India’s most
            crime emanating from the Indian                                                                       feared organized crime figures, with
            subcontinent.                                                                                         investigators linking his syndicate to
                For years, Lawrence Bishnoi                                                                       a string of high-profile murders, ex-
            and his close associate Satinderjeet                                                                  tortion rackets, arms trafficking and
            Singh alias Goldy Brar were largely                                                                   intimidation campaigns. Operating
            seen in India through the prism of                                                                    despite spending years behind bars,
            Punjab’s gang wars, extortion rackets                                                                 Bishnoi allegedly built a decentral-
            and high-profile murders. The latest                                                                  ized network that used associates
            US indictments, however, portray a                                                                    across several states and abroad to
            far  more  sophisticated  organization                                                                target businessmen, politicians, ce-
            -- one operating across multiple ju-                                                                  lebrities and rival gangsters. The
            risdictions, using international drug                                                                 2022 killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu
            trafficking networks, extortion rings                                                                 Moosewala brought  unprecedented
            and contract killers while stretching   Once largely confined to Punjab’s gang wars, Lawrence Bishnoi has emerged as    attention to the gang’s reach. Indi-
            from India to Canada, the United   one of India’s most feared organized crime figures, with investigators linking his syndicate   an investigative agencies believe the
            States, Mexico and Europe.           to a string of high-profile murders, extortion rackets, arms trafficking and intimidation   syndicate has increasingly expanded
                The operation also marks the                           campaigns (File photo)                     beyond domestic crime, forging links
            first major American criminal pros-                                                                   with transnational narcotics networks
            ecution directly linking the Bishnoi                                                                  and using overseas operatives, partic-
            organization to the June 2023 as-  chitecture investigators claim to have   transnational enterprises involved in   ularly in Canada and North Ameri-
            sassination of Khalistani separatist   uncovered.                   violent  crimes,  narcotics  trafficking,   ca, to coordinate extortion, contract
            Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a gurd-  According to  the US Depart-  firearms smuggling and international   killings and  organized criminal ac-
            wara in Surrey, British Columbia.   ment of Justice, the operation has   extortion. Cocaine and firearms were   tivities. The latest US indictments
            US prosecutors have alleged that   resulted in 37 defendants being   seized during the operation, sug-  suggest that what began as a regional
            Bishnoi and Brar orchestrated the   charged through three federal indict-  gesting investigators are examining   criminal enterprise has evolved into a
            killing, though they emphasized that   ments, while 24 suspects linked to   financial and logistical networks that   global organized crime network.
            the charges remain allegations until   India-based organized crime groups   extend well beyond India’s borders.   The priority target
            proven in court.                  have already been arrested across the   The indictments also identify
              Transnational crime network     United States, Canada and Europe.   other  alleged  organized  crime  fig-  he FBI’s announcement of a
                                                  Investigators allege the syn-  ures, including Jaggu Bhagwanpuria     reward of up to USD 50,000
                  he  significance  of  Operation   dicates  are  no  longer  confined  to   and Ravinder Singh Dhanda. Pros-  Tfor  information  leading  to
                  Hard Ball lies less in the names   traditional criminal activities in In-  ecutors  allege  Dhanda  operated  an   Goldy Brar’s arrest reflects the cen-
            Tof those charged than in the ar-  dia. Instead, they have evolved into   international  drug  distribution  net-  Continued on next page... >>

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