US DOJ indicts India‑based gangsters in Operation Hard Ball

The United States Department of Justice unsealed indictments against 37 defendants, including Indian crime figures Lawrence Bishnoi and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, as part of a multi‑year probe dubbed “Operation Hard Ball.” The suspects are charged under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act for murder, extortion, large‑scale drug trafficking and other racketeering activities tied to three India‑based transnational crime syndicates. The indictment cites the alleged murder of Khalistani activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, among other violent crimes, and highlights seizures of roughly 1,000 kg of cocaine, 1 kg of heroin, about $40,000 in cash and a dozen firearms.

The DOJ declined to comment on how it will seek the extradition of Bishnoi and Bhagwanpuria, who are currently imprisoned in India, noting that under the U.S.–India extradition treaty they would first have to serve any Indian sentences before being transferred. A $50,000 reward has been offered for Goldy Brar, another gang member. The investigation involved cooperation with Canadian, European and Asian law‑enforcement agencies, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police recently arrested an associate in France for related drug‑smuggling activities.