News Desk
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Indian police keep vigil along a street in Srinagar on May 1, 2025.
AFP/File
Indian police opened an inquiry Wednesday after an officer was linked by U.S. authorities to an alleged extortion scheme run by an India-based transnational organized crime group. The operation involved law enforcement from the United States, Canada and Europe investigating syndicates tied to racketeering, killings and drug trafficking.
Who is the Indian police officer charged by the U.S.?
Police in India's Punjab state identified the officer as Inspector Gurinderjit Singh Nagra, linked "in connection with an extortion-related investigation" by U.S. authorities. He has been taken off active duty pending investigations. U.S. officials say Nagra attempted to extort money from a family in Los Angeles as part of a wider organized crime network operating out of India.
Who else was arrested in the international operation?
The operation on Tuesday led to 24 arrests and dozens of charges, including two men in India accused of running global criminal syndicates from inside prison. One was identified as Lawrence Bishnoi, 33, who is jailed in India and already faces murder and extortion charges in several criminal cases. The other was named as Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, 38, described by U.S. officials as an "associate-turned-rival" of Bishnoi.
What crimes is Lawrence Bishnoi accused of?
Among the crimes named in indictments unveiled on Tuesday is the 2023 killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Punjabi-born campaigner for the Sikh separatist movement Khalistan. Bishnoi is charged with ordering the killing from his prison cell. His organization is designated a terrorist enterprise in Canada.
How large is the alleged criminal network?
U.S. authorities say Bhagwanpuria runs a crime gang with more than 1,000 members spread across North America, Britain, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The U.S. Attorney's Office said the group corrupted law enforcement officers in India and partnered with corrupt government officials, including to help carry out extortion schemes.
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