The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested Indian national Harmanveer Singh for his alleged involvement in a transnational drug trafficking network linked to the Canada-based Ravinder Dhanda organised crime group.
Singh was taken into custody on Tuesday in Stockton, California, by officers of the California Highway Patrol, the FBI said.
The arrest is part of Operation Hard Ball, a coordinated international law enforcement effort targeting organised crime groups associated with Lawrence Bishnoi, Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and Ravinder Dhanda.
According to the FBI, Singh is accused of participating in a criminal network involved in the distribution, export and trafficking of controlled substances. Investigators allege that the Ravinder Dhanda organised crime group, based in Vancouver, Canada, smuggled large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine for drug trafficking organisations operating across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
On June 23, 2026, the US District Court for the Central District of California issued a federal arrest warrant against Singh after charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess controlled substances with intent to distribute, conspiracy to export controlled substances, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
The arrest follows a wider international crackdown carried out earlier this month by law enforcement agencies in the United States, Canada and Europe. The joint operation led to the arrest of 24 individuals, including 11 in California, and targeted three India-linked transnational organised crime groups accused of a range of criminal activities.
Overall, the US Department of Justice has charged 37 individuals under Operation Hard Ball. The investigation has resulted in three federal indictments and coordinated enforcement actions across multiple jurisdictions.
In a related development, US authorities arrested 26-year-old Indian national Nitish Kaushal in Vermont as he allegedly attempted to cross into Canada. Officials allege that Kaushal is associated with the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria organised crime group. His arrest came two days after the FBI issued a wanted notice for him.
US authorities have also announced a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest of Satinderjeet Singh, also known as Goldy Brar, whom investigators describe as the North American leader of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. US officials allege that Brar and Lawrence Bishnoi directed international criminal operations, including ordering the June 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia.
