Federal prosecutors say a kidnapping victim was taken to a Fresno apartment during an alleged extortion plot.
FRESNO, CA — A Fresno arrest is tied to a federal investigation that charged 37 people linked to three India-based crime groups accused of kidnappings, extortion, drug trafficking and violence across the United States, Canada and Europe, authorities said.
The case, announced Tuesday in Los Angeles, marks one of the broadest recent federal actions against alleged transnational gangs with roots in India. Federal officials said 24 defendants were arrested in the United States, Canada and Europe, including 11 in California. The indictments center on the Bishnoi, Bhagwanpuria and Dhanda organizations, which prosecutors say used violence and fear to control victims, move drugs and collect money from diaspora communities.
Authorities said at least one arrest happened in Fresno after investigators carried out a coordinated operation called Operation Hard Ball. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said the case targets groups accused of spreading fear through shootings, kidnappings, extortion, drug trafficking and weapons dealing. “There is no safe harbor for these thugs,” Essayli said at the Los Angeles news conference. The FBI, Los Angeles police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and other agencies took part in the investigation, which federal officials described as a years-long probe spanning several countries.
The Fresno link comes from a federal racketeering indictment against the Bhagwanpuria organization. Prosecutors allege that in July 2024, members of the group kidnapped and assaulted a victim in Manteca after accusing the person of stealing a drug load. The indictment says the victim was later taken to an apartment in Fresno, where members demanded $50,000. Authorities have not publicly identified the Fresno apartment, explained why it was chosen or said whether the property was searched. The victim was later released after Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, the alleged leader of the organization, directed others to let the person go, prosecutors said.
Federal officials said Bhagwanpuria, 38, is imprisoned in India but still ran a criminal enterprise through contraband phones and other devices. His group is accused of operating across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, with more than 1,000 members and associates worldwide and more than 100 in the United States. The indictment charges 17 defendants in that case with racketeering conspiracy and other counts tied to murder-for-hire, kidnappings, drug trafficking, extortion, weapons trafficking and illegal firearms activity. An indictment is an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The larger investigation also targets the Bishnoi organization, led by Lawrence Bishnoi, 33, of Punjab, India, who is also imprisoned there. Prosecutors allege Bishnoi directed crimes from jail, including political assassinations, shootings, kidnappings, extortion, drug trafficking and human smuggling. The Bishnoi indictment includes allegations tied to the June 18, 2023, killing of a prominent Indian political and religious figure outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia. Prosecutors identified the victim in court records by initials. Federal officials also said the Canadian government designated the Bishnoi enterprise as a terrorist entity in September 2025.
The third indictment names Ravinder Singh Dhanda, 57, of Vancouver, Canada, and others accused of running a drug transport network that moved cocaine and methamphetamine from the United States into Canada. Prosecutors said the network used long-haul semi-trucks and, at times, farm trucks to hide drugs moving from the greater Los Angeles area toward the U.S.-Canada border. The Dhanda indictment alleges shipments involving hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from July 2023 through November 2024. Across the full investigation, authorities said they seized about 1,000 kilograms of cocaine, one kilogram of heroin, $40,000 in cash and 12 firearms.
California appears throughout the case as both a target area and a logistics route. Federal officials said search warrants were executed in the Sacramento and Los Angeles areas, and arrests were made in several California cities. Prosecutors said the groups used Southern California and the Inland Empire for drug movement, including loads of cocaine and methamphetamine carried by passenger vehicles and then transferred to semi-trucks. They also alleged firearms were sold in places including Fontana, Santa Clarita and Bakersfield. Patrick Grandy, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, said the operation struck at organizations that had “terrorized families, exploited communities, and stolen lives.”
Federal officials said 10 fugitives were still being sought after the arrests, including seven in the United States, two in India and one in Europe. Defendants arrested in the United States were expected to make initial appearances in federal court. Many defendants face possible sentences ranging from 10 years to life in federal prison if convicted. Authorities also said they expect to pursue extradition for key defendants held in India, including Bishnoi and Bhagwanpuria. The cases are being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
The Fresno arrest remains one piece of a wider case built around alleged cross-border violence, drug routes and extortion schemes. Federal authorities said the next steps include court appearances, fugitive searches and extradition efforts tied to the three unsealed indictments.
Author note: Last updated July 9, 2026.