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International Sting Nabs 24 Linked to Indian Mafia, Including Suspects in Sikh Activist's Murder
🇨🇭 Switzerland /Crime & Justice

International Sting Nabs 24 Linked to Indian Mafia, Including Suspects in Sikh Activist's Murder

From Le Temps · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement New plan
  • International law enforcement agencies arrested 24 individuals linked to the Indian mafia in a coordinated operation across the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
  • The crackdown targeted criminal organizations involved in racketeering, targeted assassinations, extortion, and drug trafficking, including the 2023 murder of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
  • Authorities are pursuing additional suspects, with some leaders of these criminal enterprises operating from within Indian prisons.

A sweeping international law enforcement operation has dismantled key elements of Indian mafia operations, leading to the arrest of 24 individuals across the United States, Canada, and Europe. The coordinated crackdown targeted brutal transnational criminal organizations engaged in a wide array of illicit activities, including racketeering, targeted assassinations, extortion, and drug trafficking.

No safe haven for these thugs.

— Bill Essayli, Magistrate representing the Department of Justice in the Los Angeles regionEssayli stated that transnational criminal gangs spreading fear and violence will face the full force of justice, emphasizing that there is no safe place for them.

Central to the investigation and subsequent charges is the 2023 murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Canadian Sikh activist advocating for Khalistan, an independent Sikh state. U.S. authorities revealed that the assassination was allegedly orchestrated by Lawrence Bishnoi, a 33-year-old criminal leader operating from an Indian prison. Bishnoi, who presented himself as a religious patriot, reportedly used this image to recruit members for his vast criminal enterprise, which spanned continents and involved political assassinations, murders, extortion, and human trafficking.

Another significant figure implicated is Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, 38, also imprisoned in India. Bhagwanpuria, a former associate of Bishnoi, founded his own criminal group with over 1,000 members globally. He faces charges for directing a criminal enterprise involved in contract killings, kidnappings, and extortion, as well as international arms and drug trafficking.

Today's coordinated operation targets the heart of three brutal transnational organizations that have terrorized families, exploited communities, and destroyed lives through ruthless acts of violence in the United States and abroad.

— Patrick Grandy, Assistant Director of the FBI's Los Angeles Field OfficeGrandy summarized the operation's success in dismantling criminal groups responsible for widespread violence and exploitation.

The operation also led to the arrest of Ravinder Singh Dhanda, 57, in Canada. Dhanda is accused of involvement in a large-scale drug trafficking ring that smuggled hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine weekly from the U.S. into Canada. While most of the 24 arrested individuals are now in custody, ten remain at large, highlighting the ongoing efforts to bring all perpetrators to justice.

Patriot

— Lawrence BishnoiThe indictment describes Bishnoi as presenting himself as a deeply religious 'patriot' to recruit members for his criminal organization.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Le Temps in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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