An international law enforcement operation targeting India-linked organized crime has underscored how criminal syndicates that once operated primarily within India have evolved into sophisticated transnational networks spanning North America, Europe and beyond, according to law enforcement officials and security experts.
The operation, dubbed “Operation Hard Ball” by the FBI, resulted in the arrests of 24 suspects across the United States, Canada and Spain and the indictment of 37 people. Investigators say the case marks the largest international crackdown to date on India-based organized crime groups.
At the center of the investigation is jailed Indian gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, whom U.S. prosecutors accuse of directing murders, extortion schemes and international drug trafficking from prison using smuggled mobile phones. His alleged deputy, Goldy Brar, remains a fugitive and is wanted by the FBI.
India welcomed the U.S. indictment of Bishnoi and several associates over the 2023 killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, describing the case as evidence of the growing threat posed by transnational organized crime. The indictment alleges Bishnoi’s organization orchestrated the killing but does not accuse the Indian government of involvement.
A new generation of organized crime
Security analysts say the Bishnoi organization represents a new phase in the evolution of Indian organized crime, differing from earlier syndicates led by figures such as Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan.
While previous organizations relied on smuggling routes, geographic safe havens and centralized command structures, investigators say newer networks exploit encrypted communications, diaspora connections, social media and decentralized overseas operatives to coordinate extortion, drug trafficking, weapons procurement and contract killings across multiple countries.
Experts told DW that expanding Indian diaspora communities, particularly in North America, have created both new opportunities for criminal organizations and new targets for extortion. Business owners in Canada, the United States and Britain have reported receiving extortion demands allegedly linked to India-based gangs.
Although analysts caution that these groups do not rival the scale of Latin American drug cartels, they say Indian criminal organizations have become increasingly significant players in international organized crime.
Former intelligence and security officials said technology has transformed the way criminal networks operate. Encrypted messaging platforms, cryptocurrencies and inexpensive international travel have enabled loosely connected cells to collaborate across continents while remaining difficult for authorities to dismantle.
They argue that organized crime has become increasingly global while policing remains largely organized along national lines, allowing criminal groups to exploit legal and jurisdictional gaps. International cooperation, intelligence sharing and coordinated law enforcement operations will be essential to disrupting these networks, they said.
