FBI targets Lawrence Bishnoi network, announces $50,000 reward for Goldy Brar

The spotlight has once again fallen on jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his close aide Goldy Brar after the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced fresh charges, coordinated international raids and a $50,000 reward for information leading to Brar’s arrest.

US authorities on Tuesday charged Bishnoi and Brar with allegedly ordering the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023.

Nijjar’s killing severely strained India-Canada relations after then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there were “credible allegations” linking the Indian government to the assassination. India has consistently rejected the allegations. While Canada identified Nijjar as a Canadian Sikh activist, India had designated him a Khalistani extremist and terrorist.

In a coordinated crackdown dubbed Operation Hardball, law enforcement agencies from the US, Canada and Europe arrested 24 people allegedly linked to three India-based organised crime networks—the Lawrence Bishnoi, Bhagwanpuria and Dhanda gangs.

According to the FBI, 13 arrests were made in the United States, including 11 in California and one each in Indiana and Georgia. Three suspects were arrested in Canada and one in Spain.

Authorities said the operation is ongoing, with 10 fugitives still being sought—seven in the US, two in India and one in Europe.

The FBI has also intensified its search for Goldy Brar, announcing a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to his arrest.

US prosecutors have charged Brar with racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to interfere with commerce through extortion, and conspiracy to distribute and possess controlled substances with intent to distribute, as investigators continue to target the alleged transnational criminal network.