WASHINGTON: Law-enforcement agencies in the United States, Canada, Europe and South Asia have stepped up action against organised Indian criminal networks, with recent investigations involving fraud, drug trafficking, extortion, violence and other offences highlighting the increasingly cross-border nature of Indian criminal gangs.
The latest incidents involving Indian nationals in criminal activities have highlighted the growing reach of Indian criminal networks across borders.
The cases range from individual fraud investigations to large multinational operations targeting organised Indian criminal networks.
A report by the US publication FreightWaves stated that an Indian national named Simran Pal Singh was arrested during a major operation in the US state of Pennsylvania. Authorities detained him while searching a truck; arrest warrants had already been issued against him in fraud cases.
Meanwhile, in the Dhanusha district of Nepal, police arrested an Indian national on suspicion of involvement in illicit activities. A search of the accused yielded 1.36 million in local currency, which appeared to have been obtained through illegal means.
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According to the police, the accused had crossed the border into Nepal and drew the attention of security forces due to his suspicious movements. Following this arrest, Nepali authorities have decided to tighten surveillance in border areas to curb criminal elements.
In the United States, an FBI-led operation announced in July resulted in 24 arrests and charges against 37 people linked to three India-based transnational organised crime groups.
Earlier this month, an Indian-origin US citizen wanted in a welfare fraud case was arrested in India.
Operation Hard Ball
The most extensive recent case is the US-led Operation Hard Ball, announced by the US Department of Justice in July.
US, Canadian and European authorities arrested 24 defendants linked to three India-based organised crime groups, while 37 defendants were charged in three federal indictments.
The Justice Department said the groups were involved in racketeering, targeted killings, shootings, extortion, kidnappings, drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and human smuggling.
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Authorities also seized about 1,000 kilogrammes of cocaine, one kilogramme of heroin, $40,000 in cash and 12 firearms, according to the department.
The investigation involved agencies from the United States, Canada and Europe, with assistance from authorities in other countries.
The US indictments centre in part on jailed Indian gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.
According to prosecutors, Bishnoi used contraband mobile phones and other communications devices to direct criminal activities while imprisoned in India.
The indictment alleges that his gang was involved in murders, shootings, extortion, kidnappings, drug trafficking and human smuggling across several countries.
The US indictment also accuses Bishnoi and Brar of ordering the 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Sikh figure who was shot dead outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia.
Indian criminal networks and the diaspora
The Bishnoi investigation has drawn attention to the development of organised crime networks operating across India, North America and Europe.
German broadcaster DW reported that the network represents a newer form of Indian organised crime, with operations extending beyond traditional local gangs.
Counter-narcotics specialist Shreekumar Menon told DW that the Bishnoi organisation represented a “new generation of Indian organised crime”.
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Menon said its activities spanned India, Canada and the United States and relied on diaspora connections, encrypted communications, drug trafficking and firearms.
He said the expansion of the Indian diaspora, particularly in North America, had created opportunities for criminal groups to establish overseas links.
DW reported that investigators had identified the use of encrypted communications and overseas operatives in coordinating extortion and other criminal activities.
The Justice Department’s indictments similarly allege that members and associates of the Bishnoi enterprise used WhatsApp and other encrypted messaging applications to threaten victims and demand money.
In one case cited by US prosecutors, defendants allegedly demanded $5 million from victims in California in late 2025 and early 2026.
