The murder of Sidhu Moose Wala, threats against Salman Khan, the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, a designated terrorist by India, and multi-million-dollar cocaine trafficking routes across North America all feature in newly unsealed US court documents tracing the rise of three Punjab-origin organised crime syndicates into transnational criminal enterprises.
The indictments, unsealed this week under Operation Hard Ball, charge 37 defendants linked to organisations led by Lawrence Bishnoi, Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and Ravinder Singh Dhanda. Although the Bishnoi indictment was returned by a federal grand jury in February, it remained under seal while authorities coordinated arrests across the United States, Canada and Europe.
Drawing on the DOJ indictments, official Indian records and recent statements by Canadian authorities, the India Today OSINT team maps the syndicates’ global footprint, command hierarchy, criminal ecosystem and alleged links to some of the most high-profile crimes involving the Indian diaspora.
While these prosecution documents provide an unusually detailed account of the alleged criminal enterprise, the allegations remain unproven and will ultimately be tested in court.
FROM PUNJAB TO MULTIPLE CONTINENTS
The indictments collectively outline an operational footprint stretching across India, the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Spain, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
According to prosecutors, the organisations exploited international borders to recruit members, move narcotics, coordinate extortion schemes and evade law enforcement. Violence, they allege, was used not only to eliminate rivals but also to instil fear within Indian diaspora communities, making extortion easier while strengthening the syndicates’ reputation across multiple countries.
The indictments further allege that the groups recruited vulnerable young men, including minors in Punjab, promising money, notoriety and protection before deploying trusted members overseas, in some cases using student and work visas, to expand their international operations.
A CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE WITH A CORPORATE STRUCTURE
According to prosecutors, Lawrence Bishnoi allegedly directed the enterprise from prison in India using contraband mobile phones and internet-based communication devices.
Day-to-day operations were allegedly delegated to trusted lieutenants. Satinderjeet Singh alias Goldy Brar is identified as the alleged North American leader, while Rohit Godara allegedly oversaw operations in Europe. Sukhraj Singh Kang is named as another senior associate based in Punjab. Prosecutors allege these regional leaders coordinated recruitment, extortion, narcotics trafficking and acts of violence while reporting back to Bishnoi.
The indictment further alleges the organisation operated through a decentralised structure in which lower-level members often knew little about one another, insulating senior leadership from direct operational exposure. Prosecutors also allege members gathered information about victims and their family members, particularly relatives living in India, and used threats against them to enforce extortion demands.
The Bhagwanpuria organisation allegedly followed a similar model after Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, described as an associate turned rival of Bishnoi, established his own syndicate. US prosecutors allege the network grew to more than 1,000 members and associates worldwide, including over 100 based in the United States.
According to the indictment, the organisation allegedly expanded its influence by corrupting law enforcement officers and government officials in India, using false criminal complaints against perceived rivals and facilitating extortion through compromised officials.
The third indictment targets Ravinder Singh Dhanda, also known as Randy, Rolex and John Wick, along with associates including Jaskarn Baghri alias Baba, Gurtej Singh Smagh alias Simba, Harmanveer Singh and others.
Unlike the Bishnoi and Bhagwanpuria organisations, prosecutors allege the Dhanda group specialised in moving bulk quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine through warehouses, trucking routes and cross-border logistics between the United States and Canada.
The authorities allege that members of this syndicate obtained information about border inspections from an individual working for the Canada Border Services Agency.
NAMES FAMILIAR TO INDIAN AUDIENCES
The Bishnoi indictment links the organisation to several incidents that have dominated headlines in India.
Prosecutors allege members publicly claimed responsibility for the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala and repeatedly threatened actor Salman Khan (mentioned in the indictment as popular film and TV personality SK) to reinforce the group’s reputation and support extortion demands.
The indictment further alleges that Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar ordered the June 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar (mentioned with his initials HSN in the doc), who was designated an individual terrorist by the Government of India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in 2020 and identified by Indian authorities as the chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF). These allegations remain before the court and have not been proven.
A SHIFTING INDIA-CANADA BACKDROP
The indictments were unsealed as India and Canada attempt to restore diplomatic ties after years of tensions triggered by Nijjar’s killing.
While then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged a possible link between Indian government agents and the killing, New Delhi consistently rejected the allegation. Following the US indictments, RCMP Deputy Commissioner Lisa Moreland said, “There is no evidence to suggest that, through this organised crime syndicate investigation and the charges laid forward, that Indian government officials would be charged or involved in this… Nothing has come out to link the Indian government,” while stressing that the investigation remains active.
Notably, the US indictment attributes the alleged conspiracy to members of the Bishnoi organisation and does not allege any role by the Government of India. The indictment also notes that Canada designated the Bishnoi enterprise as a terrorist entity in September 2025.
INDIA’S LONG-RUNNING CRACKDOWN
The US investigation builds on years of action by Indian agencies against organised crime networks with international links. Lawrence Bishnoi remains imprisoned in India, while the National Investigation Agency has pursued multiple investigations into transnational gang networks. The Union government has also designated several gang-linked individuals, including Goldy Brar, as terrorists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, reflecting India’s assessment that organised crime and extremist networks increasingly overlap.
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