India cooperated in US-led transnational crime probe: Canadian official
Washington, July 8
Indian authorities cooperated with the United States and other international law enforcement agencies during the multinational investigation that led to sweeping racketeering charges against three organised crime groups, a senior Canadian police official has said.
The acknowledgement came after US authorities announced charges against 37 defendants linked to transnational criminal organisations accused of murder, extortion, kidnappings and large-scale drug trafficking across North America and Europe. Twenty-four suspects have been arrested in the United States, Canada and Europe as part of 'Operation Hard Ball'.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Deputy Commissioner Lisa Moreland said Indian authorities assisted investigators during the years-long probe.
"What I can say to you is in this investigation, as you noted from our US partners, that the Indian government was cooperating in this investigation. We work shoulder and shoulder with the FBI and other agencies to address this," Moreland said in an interview following the announcement.
She added: "Through the course of this investigation, it would highlight that that's where we're striving for."
The comments came as investigators from the United States, Canada and Europe unveiled indictments against three alleged criminal syndicates led by Lawrence Bishnoi, Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and Ravinder Singh Dhanda.
Prosecutors allege the organisations operated across multiple countries and were involved in targeted killings, extortion, kidnappings, narcotics trafficking and firearms offences.
US prosecutors alleged that both Bishnoi and Bhagwanpuria directed criminal enterprises from jail cells in India using contraband communication devices, while members and associates allegedly carried out operations in the United States, Canada, Europe and elsewhere.
Moreland said the operation demonstrated the importance of international cooperation against increasingly sophisticated criminal organisations.
"I think that the key message here is that no one agency can tackle these types of organised crimes by theirself," she said. "The partnerships that we've developed here in Canada... as well as our international footprint... collaborating everybody to tackle these."
She added that organised crime had become "borderless" because of technology, making cooperation among international agencies essential.
"And I think the key message here is that no matter where you rest in the world, we will come after you with the tools that we have developed to tackle organised crime," Moreland said.
The investigation involved the FBI, the RCMP, the Los Angeles Police Department, US Customs and Border Protection and law enforcement agencies in Spain and several other countries.
The Justice Department also said assistance came from the FBI's Legal Attache offices in New Delhi, Ottawa, Madrid and Mexico City, among others.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Great example of how cross-border crime requires cross-border solutions. As a Canadian, I'm glad to see India stepping up. These gangs are a threat to public safety everywhere, from Punjab to Toronto. Let's hope this sends a strong message that no one is untouchable, even if they try to run operations from prison. 👏
I'm happy India cooperated, but let's not pretend this is a one-way street. Canada has been very slow to act on Khalistani extremists operating on their soil. If they want India's help on organized crime, they should also be equally cooperative on issues that matter to us. Tit for tat, yaar. Still, good that they caught these goons. 😤
Impressive operation, 37 defendants across three continents. The fact that these gang leaders were running their empire from Indian jails using smuggled phones shows how sophisticated organized crime has become. Tech has truly made crime borderless. Kudos to all agencies involved, including Indian authorities. Now let's see if the convictions stick.
I understand the need for cooperation, but I worry about sovereignty issues. If these investigations involve US agencies operating in India, we need to ensure our laws and procedures are respected. That said, the Bishnoi gang needs to be dismantled completely. The fact that Lawrence Bishnoi could direct operations from jail is a scandal in itself. Our prison security needs an overhaul.
This is how modern law enforcement should work. The days of national police forces working in
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