Los Angeles: The United States Department of Justice has unsealed three federal indictments charging 37 people allegedly tied to India-based criminal syndicates accused of running a transnational network involving racketeering, drug trafficking, extortion, targeted killings, kidnappings, firearms offenses, human smuggling and other criminal activity.

The investigation, code-named “Operation Hard Ball,” was announced Tuesday after years of coordination involving law enforcement partners in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. Authorities said 24 defendants were arrested across the United States, Canada and Europe, while 10 suspects remained fugitives.

According to federal prosecutors, the indictments target three India-based transnational organized crime organizations, including the Lawrence Bishnoi syndicate and the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria network. Prosecutors allege that both groups directed criminal operations across several continents, even while key leaders were imprisoned in India.

The indictments allege that Lawrence Bishnoi and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria continued managing their criminal enterprises from prison through contraband mobile phones and internet-based communication devices. Prosecutors said the groups used overseas associates to coordinate narcotics trafficking, weapons procurement, extortion and violent criminal activity.

The allegations have not been tested in court.

Federal authorities described an international command structure extending well beyond India. Prosecutors identified Satinderjeet Singh, also known as “Goldy Brar,” as the alleged North American leader of the Bishnoi syndicate. He remains a fugitive. Rohit Godara is accused of supervising operations in Europe, while Sukhraj Singh Kang is alleged to have coordinated recruitment and logistics within India.

According to prosecutors, the accused networks coordinated drug trafficking, extortion, contract killings, intimidation campaigns and recruitment across the United States, Canada, Europe and India.

One of the most serious allegations involves Gurinderjit Singh Nagra, identified in reports as the Station House Officer of Tanda police station in Hoshiarpur, Punjab. Prosecutors have accused him of conspiring with members of the criminal organization to extort an Indian-American family in California.

Court documents allege that gang members threatened victims by claiming their relatives in India would be falsely implicated in fabricated murder cases unless they paid hundreds of thousands of dollars. Reports have cited an alleged demand of $400,000 in the case. These allegations have not been adjudicated in court.

The indictments also include allegations linking members of the Bishnoi organization to the June 2023 killing of a Sikh leader identified in media reports as Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia. Federal prosecutors allege that Bishnoi and Goldy Brar ordered the killing, which later became central to a major diplomatic dispute between India and Canada. Those allegations have not been proven in court.

Investigators also allege that the Bishnoi syndicate used social media to portray Lawrence Bishnoi as a religious nationalist and patriot. Federal authorities said the online campaign helped recruit young men in India, Canada and the United States into criminal activities, including narcotics trafficking and contract killings.

Beyond the violence and extortion allegations, prosecutors said the groups operated a major narcotics pipeline that moved hundreds of pounds of cocaine and methamphetamine each week from Southern California into Canada using commercial trucking routes.

During the investigation, authorities seized nearly 1,000 kilograms of cocaine, 1 kilogram of heroin, $40,000 in cash and 12 firearms, including a machine gun. Investigators also executed 34 search warrants across California, including 23 in the Sacramento region and 11 in the Los Angeles area.

The arrests took place across three continents. Authorities said 11 people were arrested in California, one in Indiana, one in Georgia, three in Canada and one in Spain. Seven defendants were already in custody before the operation. Officials are still searching for 10 fugitives, including seven believed to be in the United States, two in India and one in Europe.

The indictments present a troubling picture of criminal groups allegedly exploiting Indian diaspora communities through intimidation, extortion, violence, drug trafficking and threats against relatives in India.

For Indian-American families, the case highlights growing concerns over transnational organized crime and its ability to cross borders, target immigrant communities and operate through sophisticated networks spread across multiple countries.

The Department of Justice stressed that the charges are allegations only. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.