LOS ANGELES (VINnews) – The FBI and U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday unsealed three indictments charging 37 defendants linked to three India-based transnational organized crime groups with a wide range of violent crimes, including racketeering, targeted killings, extortion, kidnappings, drug trafficking and more.

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The operation, dubbed “Operation Hard Ball,” resulted in 24 arrests worldwide, including 11 in California, three in Canada and one in Spain, authorities said. Seven defendants were already in custody, and law enforcement is seeking 10 fugitives — seven in the U.S., two in India and one in Europe.

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“These criminal organizations have engaged in widespread violence including targeted killings, extortions and kidnappings,” officials stated.298462

Among the charges is the alleged ordering of the June 18, 2023, assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Sikh activist and president of a Surrey, British Columbia, gurdwara. Lawrence Bishnoi, an imprisoned Indian gangster, and his alleged associate Satinderjeet Singh, also known as Goldy Brar, face charges related to directing the killing outside the temple.

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Bishnoi and another leader, Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, are said to run their global syndicates from Indian prisons. The groups allegedly used high-profile violence to terrorize and extort members of Indian diaspora communities.

A second indictment targets members of Bhagwanpuria’s group for murder-for-hire, drug trafficking, kidnappings, extortions and weapons offenses. The third involves Ravinder Singh Dhanda and associates accused of smuggling and distributing large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine between the U.S. and Canada.

Authorities seized approximately 1,000 kilograms of cocaine and multiple firearms during the investigation.

FBI and Justice Department officials praised international cooperation with Canadian and European authorities.

“Transnational criminal gangs who spread fear, drugs, and violence will face the full force of justice,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli.

The defendants are expected to make initial court appearances in federal court in Los Angeles. All charges are allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.