Latest Operation Hard Ball News & Updates

Brussels, July 18 (IANS) India’s cooperation with international agencies in combating transnational crime is rooted in its commitments under international law. After ratifying the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (UNTOC) and its three protocols in 2011, New Delhi accepted obligations to tackle human trafficking, migrant smuggling, and the illicit manufacture and trafficking of firearms. The commitment reflects New Delhi’s consistent doctrine of treating human tra…

Chandigarh, July 18 (IANS) Punjab Police have arrested its officer Gurinderjit Singh Nagra, who has been facing FBI allegations of $400,000 extortion linked to international crime syndicates.Under ‘Operation Hard Ball’, US authorities accused Inspector Nagra, the former Station House Officer (SHO) of the police station in Tanda town in Hoshiarpur district, of colluding with the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria syndicate to extort an Indian-origin family in California by threatening to falsely implicate their …

New Delhi, July 14 (IANS) India on Tuesday reiterated that transnational organised crime, terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking, illicit arms trade and allied criminal networks remain major threats to societies. Addressing a weekly media briefing in New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India and the United States have developed a strong and growing framework of cooperation against terrorism and transnational organised crime, with the a…

New Delhi, July 12 (IANS) The Delhi Police’s Rohini District Special Staff arrested three shooters having purported links with “the Lawrence Bishnoi-Hari Boxer gang”, who were allegedly planning a targeted killing, police said on Sunday.According to officials, the accused had recced multiple targets in the national capital for targeted killing and were receiving information through a network based abroad, after which they were to carry out the crime.They were reportedly wanted in several inciden…

New Delhi, July 8 (IANS) The gangster-terror nexus has always been cited by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government in its battle against terror that is threatening the security of both the Indian and international communities, and in a major boost to national security, the US FBI and Canada’s RCMP, under Operation Hard Ball, targeted the leadership of criminal gangs that were terrorising law-abiding citizens, particularly those targeting the Punjabi community.This operation, which targe…

Washington, July 8 (IANS) US prosecutors have charged a Punjab police officer in a sweeping racketeering case, alleging he worked with an organised crime syndicate to falsely implicate victims in a murder case and extort money by threatening criminal prosecution. The allegations are contained in one of three federal indictments unsealed on Tuesday as part of ‘Operation Hard Ball’, a multinational investigation targeting organised crime groups accused of murder, extortion, drug trafficking and ot…

Washington, July 8 (IANS) The US Justice Department, in its federal indictments, has announced that ‘India-based’ organised crime groups targeted Indian diaspora communities across North America through murder, extortion and intimidation, using high-profile attacks to build fear and expand their criminal enterprises. The indictments, announced as part of ‘Operation Hard Ball’ on Tuesday (local time), charge 37 defendants linked to three transnational criminal organisations accused of racketeerin…

Washington, July 8 (IANS) US prosecutors have alleged that jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi directed a sprawling international criminal enterprise from an Indian prison, using contraband mobile phones and internet-based communications to oversee murders, extortion, drug trafficking and other crimes across several countries. The allegations are contained in a federal racketeering indictment unsealed on Tuesday (local time) as part of ‘Operation Hard Ball’, a multinational crackdown targeting thre…

Washington, July 8 (IANS) Indian authorities cooperated with the United States and other international law enforcement agencies during the multinational investigation that led to sweeping racketeering charges against three organised crime groups, a senior Canadian police official has said. The acknowledgement came after US authorities announced charges against 37 defendants linked to transnational criminal organisations accused of murder, extortion, kidnappings and large-scale drug trafficking a…

Washington, July 8 (IANS) The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Wednesday announced a reward of up to USD 50,000 for information leading to the arrest of gangster Satinderjeet Singh, alias ‘Goldy Brar’, who is wanted for his alleged involvement in the Lawrence Bishnoi Organised Crime Group. Announcing the reward in a post on X, the FBI said, “The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest of Satinderjeet Singh, wanted for his alleged involvement in …