Global Crime Syndicate Takedown
FBI Operation Targets India-Based Crime Syndicates with California Connections, Leading to Global Arrests
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The FBI arrested 37 people across California, Canada, and Spain in a sweeping crackdown on India-based organized crime, according to Sacramento Bee. The operation, called "Operation Hard Ball," targeted three crime syndicates with roots in India — including the network of Lawrence Bishnoi, a jailed gang boss linked to the 2023 assassination of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.
Authorities seized roughly 1,000 kilograms of cocaine, a dozen firearms, and $40,000 in cash, Fresno Bee reported. Prosecutors executed more than 50 search warrants as part of the coordinated sweep, which spanned multiple U.S. cities including Sacramento.
How Jailed Bosses Ran Crimes From Prison Cells
Despite sitting behind bars in India, crime bosses allegedly ran murder, extortion, and drug-trafficking rings from their cells. Prosecutors say they used contraband cellphones and encrypted apps to order killings and direct operations abroad, according to Modesto Bee. It is a stark example of how modern technology lets criminals operate across borders without ever leaving prison.
Lawrence Bishnoi is the most high-profile name among them. His network is already tied to the killing of Nijjar in British Columbia, Canada — a murder that triggered a major diplomatic crisis between Canada and India. U.S. prosecutors now allege his syndicate also had active operations in California, Sacramento Bee reported.
Three India-Based Syndicates With California Ties
Operation Hard Ball targeted three separate India-based criminal organizations, all with connections to the U.S. West Coast. The 37 defendants came from a broad geographic spread — arrests were made in California cities including Sacramento, as well as in Canada and Spain, according to San Luis Obispo Tribune.
The U.S. Attorney's Office led the prosecution effort alongside the FBI. The charges include murder-for-hire conspiracy, drug trafficking, and extortion. The scale of the cocaine seizure — close to a full metric ton — signals these were not small street-level operations. They were well-funded, international criminal enterprises.
Diplomatic Shadow: The Nijjar Assassination Connection
The Bishnoi gang's alleged role in Nijjar's 2023 killing already strained ties between Canada and India. Canada expelled Indian diplomats over the case. Now U.S. charges tie the same network to crimes on American soil, raising fresh questions about India's response to foreign pressure on its crime networks, Sacramento Bee reported.
Nijjar was a Sikh activist killed outside a temple in Surrey, British Columbia. Canada called his death a state-linked killing — a claim India denied. The U.S. indictments do not directly accuse the Indian government, but they add weight to concerns about transnational crime networks operating with apparent impunity, according to Modesto Bee.
What the Seized Evidence Reveals About the Operation's Scope
The physical evidence tells a big story. Agents recovered roughly 1,000 kilograms of cocaine — enough to supply a major city for months. They also seized about a dozen guns and $40,000 in cash. More than 50 search warrants were served, according to San Luis Obispo Tribune, showing just how wide the FBI's net was cast.
Law enforcement officials called the bust a clear example of what real organized crime looks like in the modern era. The phrase "what the real thing looks like" — used by prosecutors — underscores how seriously authorities view these India-based networks as a growing threat inside U.S. borders, Fresno Bee reported.
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