Operation Hardball: How India and the US Teamed Up Against the Bishnoi Gang Network

Indian investigators and American law enforcement officials held a series of meetings over roughly six weeks that led to a coordinated crackdown on a violent gang network with roots in Punjab but operations spanning several countries. This joint action has been referred to as Operation Hardball.

At the centre of the investigation is Lawrence Bishnoi, a gangster who has been in custody in Gujarat since 2014 but continues to run a wide criminal network from jail. His name has come up in connection with the killing of NCP leader Baba Siddique, the murder of singer Sidhu Moosewala, and repeated threats against actor Salman Khan.

During the meetings, Indian agencies shared and cross-checked details with US officials about Bishnoi's close aide Goldy Brar, along with Rohit Godara and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, who are also linked to the network. This included information on their suspected hideouts and their wider circle of associates.

India's Ministry of External Affairs also passed on a list of gang members based in the US and other countries, backed by supporting evidence gathered by Indian investigators. Much of this evidence came from questioning gang associates arrested inside India over the past five years, combined with technical surveillance of their communications and movements.

Cooperation between the two countries picked up pace after the gangster Anmol Bishnoi, wanted in the Baba Siddique murder case, was sent back to India from the US late last year. Following that, India's National Investigation Agency also held discussions with American officials who raised concerns about suspected ties between India-linked gangsters and drug trafficking networks based in the US.

Investigators say the network now stretches across borders, with Goldy Brar suspected of coordinating with Rohit Godara from Azerbaijan, while Lawrence Bishnoi is believed to be connected to associates based in Canada and the United States. Officials allege that several of these gang members work with smugglers based in Pakistan to move large quantities of narcotics into India.

The smuggling methods described by officials include the use of drones for moving drug shipments and larger consignments transported by sea. To avoid detection, the network reportedly relies on virtual private networks to hide the locations of its members and uses encrypted messaging apps, making it difficult for investigators to trace their communications.

With Operation Hardball now underway across the US, Canada and parts of Europe, this closer institutional cooperation between Indian and Western agencies signals a shift toward treating such gang networks as an international law enforcement problem rather than one confined to Indian borders.