For years, Lawrence Bishnoi's name has been linked to some of India's biggest gangland cases.
Despite being lodged in Gujarat's Sabarmati Central Jail, he has been accused by Indian agencies of running an international criminal network involved in extortion and targeted killings.
Now, the United States has put the Bishnoi network at the centre of Operation Hard Ball, a major crackdown on transnational organised crime.
Using undercover officers, informants and fake extortion deals, investigators built a case that led to charges against 37 people and the arrest of 24 individuals across the US, Canada and Europe.
ALSO WATCH: Lawrence Bishnoi's life of crime
Who Is Lawrence Bishnoi?
Lawrence Bishnoi, 33, comes from Punjab and first entered the public eye through student politics at Chandigarh's Panjab University.
Over the years, authorities alleged that his criminal network expanded beyond India and developed links in Canada, the US and other countries.
Indian agencies, including the National Investigation Agency, have previously accused members of the Bishnoi gang of involvement in extortion rackets, contract killings and cross-border crime.
US prosecutors have now alleged that Bishnoi continued to direct operations from prison through associates and by using smuggled mobile phones and encrypted messaging platforms.
The US indictment also names his close associate, Goldy Brar, who is believed to be based in Canada and has long been considered one of the gang's key operators abroad.
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Why Is The US After Him?
The US investigation is not about a single crime.
Federal authorities said they were looking into organised crime groups involved in murder-for-hire plots, extortion, drug trafficking and firearms offences.
The indictment also names Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar in connection with the June 2023 killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia.
According to US prosecutors, the duo allegedly orchestrated the murder.The indictment does not allege any involvement by the Indian government in the killing.
The case is significant because it treats the Bishnoi network as a transnational organised crime group rather than a gang operating only in India.
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The Undercover Operation That Changed Everything
The most striking part of the investigation is how US authorities built the case.
Instead of relying only on surveillance, investigators used confidential informants and undercover officers to enter the networks from within.
According to court documents, one strand of the investigation began in July 2023 when alleged Canadian drug trafficker Ravinder Singh Dhanda unknowingly contacted a confidential informant working with US law enforcement.
The informant gradually gained the trust of members of the criminal network and participated in meetings and conversations that gave investigators an inside view of how the groups operated.
The same strategy was later used against the Bishnoi network.
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The Fake Debt That Became Evidence
In January 2025, investigators created a fake extortion scenario.
An alleged gang member identified as Sukraj Singh Kang allegedly agreed to help recover a supposed debt worth between $100,000 and $200,000.
For his services, he allegedly demanded a fee of $16,000.
But there was a catch.
The person claiming to be owed the money was actually a confidential informant known in court documents as CI-1.
The alleged debtor was an undercover law enforcement officer identified as UC-1.
According to prosecutors, alleged gang members then contacted the undercover officer and allegedly threatened to kill him if the money was not paid.
The conversations continued for months and gave investigators valuable evidence about the network's methods, communication channels and hierarchy.
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From Secret Calls To Operation Hard Ball
The evidence gathered by undercover officers and informants eventually led to federal indictments.
The indictment involving the Bishnoi network was returned on 1 July, 2026.
Soon after, US authorities announced Operation Hard Ball.
The crackdown targeted three India-linked organised crime groups: the Bishnoi network, the Bhagwanpuria gang and the Dhanda smuggling organisation.
Authorities said they arrested 24 people and charged 37 individuals.
Investigators also seized around 1,000 kilograms of cocaine, 1 kilogram of heroin, more than $40,000 in cash and about a dozen firearms during the operation.
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Why This Case Matters
Operation Hard Ball shows how organised crime has changed.
Investigators allege that alleged criminal networks can now operate across continents through encrypted apps, trusted associates and international contacts.
For the US, the case is an attempt to dismantle a network that allegedly extended far beyond India's borders.
For India, it has once again raised questions about how organised crime syndicates continue to function even when their alleged leaders are in prison.
And for anyone following this story, the investigation offers a rare look at modern policing.
There were no dramatic car chases or secret raids that cracked the case.
Instead, it was built slowly through undercover conversations, fake debts and months of patiently gathering evidence against one of India's most notorious criminal networks.
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