India, July 24 -- A coordinated international law-enforcement initiative by the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), codenamed Operation Hard Ball, has resulted in the indictment of 37 individuals and the arrest of 24 suspects. The multi-agency operation targets three India-based transnational organised crime syndicates with roots in Punjab: the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, rival Jaggu Bhagwanpuria syndicate, and the British Columbia-based Ravinder Dhanda gang. Court documents reveal that these groups used encrypted communication platforms, including Signal and WhatsApp, to manage operations across India, the US, Canada, and Europe. Despite Bishnoi and Bhagwanpuria in high-security jails in India, the gangs have continued to direct regional commanders to execute drug trafficking, human smuggling, cross-border extortion, and targeted killings. The Bishnoi syndicate was designated a terrorist entity by the Canadian government in September 2025. Here is the operational background of the nine key individuals named in the first indictment....