Fresh details from the US-led Operation Hard Ball investigation allege that an India-linked organised crime network recruited minors by promising money, power, fame, and opportunities to move abroad through student and work visas.
According to the indictment against the Bhagwanpuria gang, recruitment coordinators in India specifically targeted young people who were eligible to apply for foreign student or work visas. Loyal recruits were allegedly rewarded with opportunities to operate in the United States and Canada as part of the criminal network.
US officials also revealed that 15 of the accused were living illegally in the United States at the time of their arrest. The multi-country crackdown resulted in 24 arrests across the US, Canada, and Spain, targeting three India-linked criminal organisations accused of involvement in racketeering, drug trafficking, extortion, illegal arms sales, and murder.
Investigators alleged that Gurdev Singh, a Bhagwanpuria associate, continued attempting to extort victims while in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Another accused, Gurlal Singh, allegedly threatened a victim and shared the victim’s details with a corrupt police officer in Punjab.
US authorities said they have not confirmed whether the accused initially entered the country legally before overstaying or violating immigration rules. Officials also confirmed that some US citizens were among those arrested.
The investigation has renewed attention on illegal immigration and the alleged misuse of legal visa pathways, particularly involving networks with links to Punjab, which US researchers identify as a major source of irregular migration from India.
