'Operation Hard Ball': FBI targets Lawrence Bishnoi network; 50+ raids across US, Canada and Europe; 2 dozen held, drugs, guns and cash seized

NEW DELHI: In a major offensive against the Lawrence Bishnoi network in the United States, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies conducted massive raids on Tuesday, taking around two dozen individuals into custody in California and other locations.

The international crackdown, codenamed "Operation Hard Ball," was aimed at dismantling key factions of the transnational crime syndicate allegedly targeting communities across North America and India.Spearheaded by federal agents in Los Angeles, the coordinated operation involved more than 50 raids across the United States, Canada and Europe. Law enforcement officers seized a large cache of contraband, including heroin and cocaine, multiple firearms, and tens of thousands of dollars in suspected illicit cash.The sweeping indictment targets the criminal empire allegedly orchestrated by Lawrence Bishnoi, who, according to investigators, runs his global network from prison through smuggled mobile phones.According to US authorities, the syndicate is responsible for a range of violent crimes, including high-profile assassinations, multi-million-dollar extortion schemes, and large-scale cross-border drug trafficking.

The Canadian government last year designated the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist organisation, linking it to violent organised crime and other criminal activities.Tuesday's operation did not only target Bishnoi's alleged loyalists. The multi-agency task force, which included the Los Angeles Police Department, also targeted factions allegedly headed by Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and Goldy Brar, as well as a sophisticated drug-smuggling network allegedly run by Ravinder Singh Dhanda.According to US investigators, these syndicates also stole large cocaine consignments from rival criminal groups while transporting narcotics through commercial trucking routes.US prosecutors emphasised a zero-tolerance approach towards transnational organised crime, saying they remain committed to dismantling foreign criminal enterprises operating on American soil.