Federal law enforcement agencies in the United States and Canada announced charges against 37 individuals as part of Operation Hard Ball, a multiyear investigation into criminal activities spanning multiple jurisdictions. The operation targeted leadership structures of Indian criminal organizations involved in murder-for-hire plots, shootings, extortion, and drug trafficking. Authorities reported seizing approximately 1,000 kilograms of cocaine and a dozen firearms during the investigation, with seven fugitives remaining at large in the US, two in India, and one in Europe.
The highest-profile indictment named Lawrence Bishnoi, the imprisoned leader of an Indian criminal gang, who has been charged with orchestrating the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar, a Sikh activist and Canadian citizen, was fatally shot in 2023 outside a temple in Canada where he served as president. Authorities allege that Bishnoi directed the operation from a Delhi prison using smuggled mobile phones and provided photographs and addresses to facilitate the killing. Satinderjeet Singh, identified as a childhood friend of Nijjar and also known as Goldy Brar, has been charged as a co-conspirator in the assassination and remains a fugitive.
The shooting of Nijjar created diplomatic tensions between Canada and India. Canadian officials stated there were credible allegations regarding potential Indian government involvement in the killing. Nijjar was a leading figure in activism for Khalistan, an independent Sikh homeland, and Indian authorities had designated him as a terrorist. The assassination and subsequent investigation have highlighted longstanding tensions regarding Sikh diaspora activism and divergent perspectives between Canada and India on related issues. In May 2025, four Indian nationals were charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder in connection with Nijjar’s killing, with the case proceeding before the British Columbia Supreme Court.
Canadian law enforcement officials characterized the charges as significant for public safety across multiple jurisdictions. The RCMP commissioner stated that law enforcement was addressing criminal organizations at their leadership levels and targeting their operational capabilities. Local officials in British Columbia noted that communities had experienced increased violent crime, with 131 reported extortion incidents in the region during the current year. The investigation also encompassed other criminal organizations with members operating across numerous countries including the US, New Zealand, Australia, Portugal, and the UK.
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