How Undercover Agents and Informants Helped the FBI Unravel the Lawrence Bishnoie Gang

Story so far: On July 8, the US Department of Justice (DoJ) announced the indictment of three Punjab-linked transnational organized crime syndicates operating in India, Canada, the United States and Europe. The most prominent allegations include that Lawrence Bishnoi, 33, a Punjab-born gangster currently lodged in a maximum-security prison in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and his associate Satinderjeet Singh alias Goldy Brar, ordered the murder of a British pro-Khalistan activist designated as a terrorist in India’s Suryejarhlumbia province in June 2023. Canada.

The investigation also led to numerous arrests, large drug seizures, and charges of extortion, racketeering, murder-for-hire, and drug trafficking. The Justice Department said 37 people have been charged so far. It said 24 defendants linked to three India-based multinational organized crime groups accused of a litany of crimes have been arrested in the US, Canada and Spain. According to them, the police are looking for 10 fugitives – seven in the US, two in India and one in Europe.

What three groups did the US Department of Justice indict?

The central organization in the US case is the Lawrence Bishnoi Organized Crime Group (OCG). Prosecutors describe it as a multinational criminal enterprise based in India but with extensive operations in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and Australia. According to the indictment, the group was founded and led by Lawrence Bishnoi and continued to operate even after he was jailed. Goldy Brar reportedly ran North American operations, while Rohit Godara oversaw activities in Europe.

The second organization is the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria group, led by gangster Jagtar Singh alias Jaggu sBhagwanpuria, who is currently incarcerated in Silchar Jail in Assam. US authorities describe it as a separate transnational crime syndicate with a significant presence in India, Canada, the United States and other countries. According to prosecutors, the network has more than 1,000 members and associates worldwide. The group emerged as a rival to the Bishnoi organization, but is said to have developed its own international criminal infrastructure.

A third major network is linked to Ravinder Singh Dhanda, a Canadian accused of running a major cross-border narcotics operation. This organization primarily focuses on the large-scale movement of drugs between countries, particularly the US and Canada.

Watch: US accuses Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar of killing Nijjar in crackdown on global crime

What exactly is the role of Bishnoi group?

The Department of Justice has accused the Bishnoi network of targeted killings, shootings, kidnappings, assaults and public threats to create a climate of fear among businessmen, celebrities and members of the Indian diaspora. The goal, according to investigators, was to facilitate extortion and improve the gang’s reputation. The indictment also alleges that the group was involved in the transportation of cocaine and methamphetamine across North America and the theft of narcotics shipments from rival smuggling organizations.

How did the FBI crack the Bishnoi gang?

Key evidence, according to the prosecution, was provided by Sukhraj Singh Kang, a senior Indian lieutenant in OCG Lawrence Bishnoi, who directed and coordinated acts of violence committed by members and associates in the United States, Canada and elsewhere.

According to prosecutors, on January 25, 2025, Sukhraj Singh Kang agreed to help Confidential Informant-1 (CI-1) extort a debt of $100,000 to $200,000 in exchange for a $16,000 fee. Investigators then provided a staged video purporting to show a shooting at the borrower’s residence. Members of the alleged plot believed the video to be real and used it to intimidate the intended victim.

In fact, the alleged debtor was an undercover law enforcement agent (UC-1). The prosecution alleges that over the following weeks, several accused – including Kang, Rajan Bhatti, Goldy Brar, Rohit Godara, Bhulwan and Sumit – communicated directly with UC-1, demanding money and making threats. Prosecutors say those conversations allowed investigators to document alleged extortion demands, threats to family members, payment negotiations and the mechanisms through which the money would be collected. The operation culminated in a controlled transfer of extortion money in California involving alleged associates of the Bishnoi network.

The prosecution alleges that over the following weeks, several accused, including Kang, Rajan Bhatti, Goldy Brar, Rohit Godara, Bhulwan and Sumit, communicated directly with UC-1, demanding money and making threats. Prosecutors say those conversations allowed investigators to document alleged extortion demands, threats to family members, payment negotiations and the mechanisms through which the money would be collected. The operation culminated in a controlled transfer of extortion money in California involving alleged associates of the Bishnoi network.

How was WhatsApp allegedly used?

The indictment repeatedly names WhatsApp as a key communication platform used in the alleged extortion. Prosecutors say Rajan Bhatti contacted UC-1 via WhatsApp on February 5, 2025, demanding $200,000 and threatening to kill him if he didn’t pay. Bhatti allegedly continued to use WhatsApp to make threats, obtain information and coordinate payment arrangements. Later, on May 26 and May 29, 2025, Bhatti allegedly used WhatsApp to demand money, threaten to harm UC-1 and his family, and provide details of a payment drop in Riverside, California. The indictment also alleges that members of the Bishnoi organization routinely used encrypted messaging apps such as WhatsApp to contact extortion targets around the world. Prosecutors say the victims were threatened with violence against themselves or their relatives and were often reminded of previous acts of violence the group allegedly committed in order to force payment.

How was the signal allegedly used?

The indictment identifies Signal as another important communications platform in the alleged conspiracy. Prosecutors allege Kang introduced CI-1 Goldy Brar on a signal call on February 12, 2025, to facilitate the collection of extortion payments. Thereafter, several defendants allegedly used Signal to negotiate payments and make threats.

According to the indictment, on March 5, 2025, Goldy Brar and Sumit spoke to UC-1 via Signal and negotiated a partial payment. The following day, Rohit Godara allegedly used Signal to demand money. On March 7, Bhulwan and Brar allegedly spoke separately to UC-1 over Signal, directing how the payments should be made and warning of consequences if the money was not paid. On April 11, Godara and Bhulwan again allegedly communicated with UC-1 via Signal, with Godara threatening to kill him after he “embarrassed” them.

Where does killing Nijjar fit into this?

The US indictment alleges that Bishnoi and Goldy Brar ordered the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023. Prosecutors say that Bishnoi provided information about the target and that associates carried out the killings outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia. The allegations put the Bishnoi network at the center of one of the most sensitive diplomatic disputes between India and Canada in recent years. The assassination soured diplomatic relations between India and Canada, with the Canadian government of then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleging the involvement of “agents of the Indian government” and naming Indian diplomats as “persons of interest” in the investigation.

Although no statement was issued by the Ministry of External Affairs or the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Bill Essayli, First Assistant US Attorney, told a press conference that “Indian authorities have been very cooperative and India is satisfied with today’s operations. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is conducting a parallel investigation into South Asian organized crime,” the Justice Department said.

What role is the Bhagwanpuria group allegedly playing?

The Bhagwanpur syndicate is said to specialize in extortion backed by influence and corruption. US prosecutors say members cultivated ties to corrupt public officials and police personnel and used those relationships to target rivals and extortion victims. One of the most prominent allegations is that a serving officer of the Punjab Police, Gurinderjit Singh, collaborated with members of the network and participated in extortion-related activities. According to the DoJ, the gang allegedly used both criminal threats and legal harassment to extract money from targets.

what next

US officials said they would seek the extradition of all those charged. The investigation into Operation Hard Ball – in which 37 accused, including a serving inspector of Punjab, were charged on Wednesday (July 8, 2026) – was jointly led by law enforcement agencies in the US, Canada and Europe and “is the result of a years-long federal investigation”.

“These guys were not only a problem here, but also in India… Some of them are already in jail in India, but obviously it’s not enough to curb their activities, but when they come here (after extradition), I guarantee they won’t extort victims anymore because they will be in custody for a very long time,” Mr Essayli said.