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Canadian Investigation, US Indictments, and Transnational Organized Crime

Wednesday, July 8, 2026
5 min read
Canadian Investigation, US Indictments, and Transnational Organized Crime

Nearly three years have passed since Justin Trudeau brought up those "credible allegations" linking Indian government agents to Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing. That’s the backdrop for what the Canadian police have said recently.

The RCMP investigation, which was looking into that whole situation, ultimately found nothing concrete. No evidence, they reported, connecting any Indian officials directly to the murder of Nijjar. It was a dead end on that specific line, at least from their side.

But things got uglier elsewhere. Meanwhile, the United States unsealed an indictment naming Lawrence Bishnoi and his associate Goldy Brar. They’re being accused as the alleged masterminds behind the 2023 assassination. The indictments didn't name anyone from the Indian government involved in that specific act, though.

This development came right after a major joint US-Canada operation, Operation Hard Ball. That was aimed at busting huge criminal networks running across the border. It targeted groups like Bishnoi, Ravinder Dhanda, and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria. These weren't just petty criminals; they were tied up in extortion, drug trafficking, kidnapping, and serious violence including Nijjar’s death.

The RCMP statement followed that operation. They essentially confirmed what the police had been working on: no link to Indian officials found in the murder investigation itself. Still, the scope of the criminal activity being uncovered was massive.

It’s important to remember where this all started. It was nearly three years ago when Trudeau brought up those links. That immediately kicked off a real diplomatic confrontation with New Delhi. India just dismissed the allegations outright. They called them "absurd" and kept demanding proof from Ottawa. The tension between the two nations over everything became intense.

That fallout wasn't quiet. It triggered a chain reaction of retaliations. We saw diplomats getting expelled, staffing slashed, visa services paused for Canadians, trade talks frozen. Accusations flew back and forth about interference and extremism. Relations were seriously strained for almost two years before things started shifting again, slowly, cautiously, under Mark Carney.

The focus now shifts to the organized crime side of things. The US indictment pointed toward Lawrence Bishnoi directing operations from prison cells in India using smuggled phones. Goldy Brar was coordinating across North America. They allegedly provided Nijjar’s photos and addresses to facilitate the killing that happened outside a gurdwara in Surrey back in June 2023.

This wasn't just about one murder, though. The charges are part of something much bigger. It involves 37 defendants connected to three Indian-origin organized crime syndicates moving murder, extortion, narcotics, and weapons across Canada, the US, and other countries.

Then there’s Jaggu Bhagwanpuria. He’s another thread in this mess. The indictment against him targets a separate network, estimated to have over a thousand global associates. This group allegedly dealt huge amounts of narcotics and weapons smuggling globally. Federal prosecutors suggest they used false accusations to manipulate local police and trigger extortion plots against rivals and their families spans from Punjab all the way to Ohio.

And then there’s Ravinder Singh Dhanda, based in Vancouver. His network was focused on logistics. He allegedly managed complex transit routes for hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and meth. They used semi-trucks and farm vehicles to move drugs from Southern California hubs right into Canada. During the raids sweeping through Canada, tactical teams searched properties linked to his associates, even a residence on Cliff Avenue.

It’s a sprawling story, really. The initial political drama gets buried under this massive picture of transnational criminal activity. All these threads the diplomatic spat, the organized crime syndicates, the cross-border smuggling they all intersect in some messy way.

Written by Gree News Team — Senior Editorial Board

Gree News Team covers international news and global affairs at Gree News. Our collective of senior editors is dedicated to providing independent, accurate, and responsible journalism for a global audience.

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