Operation Hard Ball: FBI-RCMP Global Strike Indicts Bishnoi Syndicate for Extortion, Drug Smuggling, and Surrey Assassination

SURREY — In one of the most explosive transnational takedowns in North American history, the RCMP and the FBI Los Angeles Command have jointly unsealed federal indictments effectively stripping the leadership structures of three India-based global crime syndicates.

Dubbed “Operation Hard Ball,” the sweeping multi-year probe resulted in 24 arrests executed simultaneously across the United States, Canada, and Europe. The unsealed dockets expose a highly sophisticated criminal apparatus orchestrated by notorious kingpins Lawrence Bishnoi, Ravinder Dhanda, and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria. The syndicates are formally accused of managing an international cocaine pipeline, widespread commercial extortion rackets targeting the South Asian diaspora, and deploying hit squads to silence political dissidents—including the high-profile 2023 assassination of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Extradition Protocols Initiated for B.C. Network Nodes

While the apex leadership faces federal prosecution out of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in California, the tentacles of the organization were heavily anchored in British Columbia.

Operating on Provisional Arrest Warrants, RCMP units quietly moved in on three primary Canadian targets heavily embedded in the cross-border logistics network. **Ravinder Dhanda (57)** of White Rock, **Jaskarn “Baba” Baghri (50)** of Surrey, and **Gurtej Smagh (43)** of Creston were all taken into custody without incident. According to the U.S. indictments, Dhanda managed a massive transportation node that negotiated with Mexican cartels and domestic Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs) to funnel bulk shipments of cocaine and methamphetamine directly across the U.S.-Canada border. Investigators allege his specific wing of the network moved over 430 kilograms (nearly 1,000 pounds) of cocaine between July 2023 and November 2024 alone.

The Extortion Crisis Connection

For months, the RCMP has been fighting a widespread extortion crisis plaguing business owners in Surrey, Edmonton, and Brampton. U.S. prosecutors allege that the Bishnoi syndicate specifically weaponized extreme acts of violence—like the Nijjar assassination—to establish the fear necessary to terrorize the diaspora and legitimize their extortion demands. By crushing the transnational command structure, authorities aim to break the financial lifeline fueling the street-level enforcers executing drive-by shootings on Canadian homes. Parallel civil asset forfeiture filings have already hit the courts to seize Dhanda’s multi-million dollar real estate holdings in White Rock and Surrey.

“This is a big moment for the RCMP and for public safety in Canada, the United States and around the world. It is a reminder of what can be accomplished when we work together with partners… targeting the leadership structures of these criminal groups, and ending their ability to terrorize and extort people.”

The three B.C. suspects are currently navigating the extradition process, which remains shielded by a publication ban. Meanwhile, international fugitive task forces continue to hunt for remaining targets directly tied to the unsealed indictments, including fugitives currently operating out of India and Europe. Another Canadian target, Garinder Deo of West Vancouver, was successfully arrested this week in France by international authorities.