Law enforcement in the United States, Canada and Europe arrested 24 defendants as part of “Operation Hard Ball,” a multinational effort targeting three India-based transnational organized crime groups.

Authorities said the operation followed years of investigation and focused on alleged crimes including racketeering, shootings and targeted killings, extortion, and large-scale narcotics trafficking across borders, with impacts described as especially severe among members of the Indian diaspora communities.

In total, officials said 37 defendants are charged across three indictments unsealed in connection with the investigation. Twenty-four were arrested during the coordinated action, while some suspects were already in custody. Investigators also said additional fugitives remain at large.

Prosecutors highlighted that one of the alleged leaders, Lawrence Bishnoi, directed criminal activity from prison in India while maintaining control through communication and logistics described by authorities as smuggled contraband devices.

The case also ties the conspiracy to a high-profile assassination in Canada in 2023 of a prominent Indian political and religious figure living in Canada at the time. U.S. court documents identify the victim with initials (“H.S.N.”), and authorities said the allegations include ordering the killing by members of the Bishnoi-linked enterprise.

Alongside the Canada-linked murder allegations, prosecutors described extortion efforts using encrypted messaging and threats toward victims and their families. They also said law enforcement seized large quantities of drugs, cash and firearms during the investigation, alongside executing dozens of search warrants across multiple locations.