U.S. Indictment Alleges Punjab Gang Built Global Crime Network

Washington — A Punjab-based criminal gang grew into a transnational organized crime syndicate with more than 1,000 members and associates operating across five continents, according to a sweeping U.S. federal indictment.

The 44-page indictment alleges that the organization generated millions of dollars through murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, extortion, weapons trafficking, money laundering and human smuggling.

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the indictment charges 15 defendants, including alleged gang leader Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and Indian national Nitish Kaushal. The FBI arrested Kaushal in Vermont on Friday after placing him on its Most Wanted list earlier in the week.

Federal prosecutors said the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria Organized Crime Group originated in Punjab under Bhagwanpuria’s leadership. He was previously associated with jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi before allegedly establishing an independent network that later became a rival organization.

The group evolved from a regional gang into “a transnational criminal syndicate headquartered in India,” with members and associates in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, the indictment alleges.

Prosecutors said the organization included more than 1,000 members and associates worldwide, including more than 100 in the United States.

Members allegedly carried out murders, contract killings, kidnappings, drug trafficking, extortion, firearms trafficking, money laundering and human smuggling. The group used violence to protect its operations, eliminate rivals, punish suspected disloyalty and pressure victims into paying extortion demands, according to the indictment.

Members also allegedly claimed responsibility for violent acts on social media to enhance the gang’s reputation and intimidate potential targets.

The organization deliberately recruited vulnerable and disadvantaged young people in Punjab, including minors who could face reduced criminal penalties if arrested, prosecutors said. Recruiters allegedly promised money, notoriety, influence and opportunities to leave India on student or work visas.

Some recruits were paid as little as 20,000 rupees, or about $200, to commit murders, according to the indictment. Members who proved their loyalty were allegedly sent to operate in countries including the United States and Canada.

The indictment also describes an extensive international narcotics distribution network that transported cocaine, methamphetamine and other drugs throughout the United States and into Canada.

Bhagwanpuria allegedly managed profitable U.S. trafficking routes through regional networks that collected narcotics in Southern California and transferred them to long-haul trucks. The drugs were then transported to destinations in the eastern United States and along the U.S.-Canada border.

A typical shipment allegedly contained at least 100 kilograms of cocaine or methamphetamine.

Gang members also stole cocaine from rival trafficking organizations and violently retaliated against people suspected of stealing the group’s drug shipments, prosecutors said.

The organization allegedly accepted murder-for-hire contracts and sent portions of the profits from drug trafficking, extortion and contract killings to its leadership.

Its extortion activities extended beyond the United States, according to prosecutors. Members gathered detailed information about potential targets, frequently focusing on relatives living in India, and used encrypted messaging applications to threaten victims with violence unless they paid money.

The indictment also alleges that gang members collaborated with corrupt law enforcement officials in Punjab. Members allegedly provided false information about perceived rivals, resulting in fabricated criminal cases. Victims or their relatives were then asked to pay money to have the cases withdrawn or dismissed.

Gurinderjit Singh, identified in the indictment as a Punjab law enforcement officer, allegedly pursued false criminal accusations against victims before seeking payments to remove their names from the cases. The allegations have not been proven in court.

Prosecutors also accused the organization of operating a firearms trafficking network. Members allegedly used straw purchasers in Nevada to obtain guns, ammunition and other weapons, which were then sold in the United States or smuggled into Canada.

Bhagwanpuria continued directing the organization’s international operations while incarcerated in India, according to the indictment. Prosecutors said he used contraband cellphones and internet-based communication devices to oversee drug trafficking, extortion and violence carried out by associates overseas.

Members allegedly understood that leaving the organization was extremely difficult. Those viewed as disloyal risked violent retaliation against themselves or their relatives, particularly family members living in India, prosecutors said. (Source: IANS)