$1 million reward on Goldy Brar: What is his connection to India and why is he on the FBI’s wanted list? | Today’s news
Gangster Satinderjeet Singh alias Goldy Brar was added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list on Monday. The agency offered a $1 million reward for information leading to his arrest.
“Satinderjeet Singh is wanted for his alleged involvement in the Lawrence Bishnoi Organized Crime Group, which is allegedly involved in various acts of violence in Southern California and throughout the United States and Canada,” the FBI said.
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Here’s everything we know about the wanted gangster:
Who is Goldy Brar?
Goldy Brar is a gangster from Canada. Born Satinderjeet Singh in 1994 in Punjab’s Muktsar district, Brar moved to Canada on a student visa in 2017.
He is a fugitive in the United States and the alleged North American leader of the Lawrence Bishnoi organized crime group.
Wanted in India for murder, drug trafficking and extortion, he is accused of plotting the murder of Sidhu Moose Wala in 2022. Declared a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Brar is linked to Babbar Khalsa International and several high-profile crimes.
Brar is also on Canada’s 25 Most Wanted list with a $50,000 reward for his capture under the Be on the Lookout (BOLO) program. Authorities say he runs international crime rackets between India, Canada and the US.
The FBI’s wanted bulletin lists several aliases for the fugitive, including “Goldy Brar,” Satinderjeet Singh Brar, Satinder Jeet, and Satinder Jit Singh Brar.
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Why is the FBI looking for him?
The FBI added Goldy Brar to its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list and warned that he should be considered armed, dangerous and a flight risk. The agency offered a $1 million reward for information leading to his arrest.
What crimes is he accused of?
Goldy Brar is said to be involved in a wide range of violent acts in Southern California, the wider United States and Canada.
The FBI and international authorities accuse him of organizing assassinations of political and religious figures, murders, shootings, kidnappings, extortion, assaults, arson, death threats, and narcotics and arms trafficking.
What official charges have been brought against him in the US?
On July 1, the United States District Court for the Central District of California issued a federal warrant for his arrest. He is charged with RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) conspiracy; conspiracy to interfere and attempt to interfere with trade by racketeering; and conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
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What is Operation Hardball?
Brar was identified as a fugitive following “Operation Hardball,” a years-long federal investigation into transnational organized crime groups based in India.
In July, US authorities announced indictments against 37 defendants linked to three such groups. Investigators say Brar serves as the head of the Bishnoi enterprise and helps manage its members and associates around the world.
What do international authorities say about him?
Officials are coordinating his capture in the US, Canada, Europe and Asia.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said the administration is committed to bringing “the full force of the law” to bear on transnational gangs. Lisa Moreland, deputy federal police commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), stressed that Brar’s network had caused “devastating havoc on countless lives” and urged that “no one should feel any loyalty to him.”
What major crimes is he accused of in India?
Goldy Brar gained significant notoriety when he claimed responsibility on behalf of the Bishnoi gang for the assassination of popular Punjabi singer and politician Sidhu Moose Wala on 29 May 2022.
Earlier that month, a court in Faridkot, Punjab, had issued a non-bailable warrant against him for the murder of district youth congress president Gurlal Singh Pehalwan.
Does the Indian government consider him a terrorist?
Yes. In 2024, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) officially designated Brar as a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The MHA and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) allege that Brar works closely with pro-Khalistan extremists, including the terrorist organization Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), and is backed by Pakistan’s spy agency ISI.
He is accused of using drones to smuggle high-quality weapons and explosives across borders, funding radical activities and making threatening phone calls to pro-nationalist leaders.
What action did the Indian authorities take against him?
At the request of Indian agencies, an Interpol Red Notice was issued against Brar in June 2022, meaning he can be arrested and extradited from any Interpol member country.
The NIA has filed a chargesheet against him detailing how the gang’s illicit income from extortion and arms smuggling flows through hawala networks to Canada. In addition, the NIA announced a cash reward of Rs ₹10 thousand for information about his whereabouts.
