Washington, July 9 -- The role of confidential informants and undercover operatives were critical to the investigations starting 2023 that led to the arrests announced Tuesday of 24 individuals linked to the Bishnoi, Bhagwanpuria and Dhandra organised crime groups, according to three separate indictments filed by the US department of Justice.

One of the indictments showed the earliest investigation, which ultimately resulted in sweeping arrests by US law enforcement in an operation known as Hard Ball, was that of Ravinder Singh Dhanda, a Canada-based drug trafficker who transported large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamines to other drug trafficking organisations in the US, Canada and Mexico.

On July 10, 2023, Dhanda made contact ...