FBI Nabs Gangster In Vermont Wanted In Punjab Crime Syndicate Case
India-West News Desk
WASHINGTON, DC -The FBI has arrested Indian national Nitish Kaushal in Vermont, days after adding him to its wanted list, in what authorities describe as a major breakthrough in an investigation into an alleged Punjab-based transnational organized crime syndicate operating across North America, Europe and Oceania.
Kaushal, also known as “Lala,” was arrested as part of the FBI’s Operation Hard Ball, an ongoing crackdown on organized crime networks linked to gangsters of Indian origin. The bureau also appealed for information on other fugitives wanted in connection with criminal enterprise investigations.
A federal arrest warrant for Kaushal was issued on June 25 by the US District Court for the Central District of California after a grand jury indicted him on a charge of conspiracy.
According to the 44-page indictment, the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria Organized Crime Group is an India-based criminal syndicate with members operating in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Prosecutors allege the organization has more than 1,000 members and associates worldwide, including over 100 in the United States, and finances its activities through murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, extortion, weapons trafficking, money laundering and human smuggling.
The indictment names 15 defendants, including alleged gang leader Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and Kaushal. Authorities allege Kaushal carried out kidnappings and assaults on behalf of the organization.
One of the key allegations relates to a July 10, 2024 incident in California. Prosecutors allege gang members believed a man had stolen a drug shipment and lured him to a residence in Manteca. Kaushal and three co-defendants allegedly restrained and assaulted the victim before moving him to an apartment in Fresno, where he was held while the gang demanded $50,000 in compensation for the purportedly stolen drugs. The indictment states the victim was later released on the alleged instructions of Bhagwanpuria.
Federal prosecutors also allege the organization coordinated large-scale cocaine and methamphetamine trafficking across the United States, moved firearms into Canada, accepted murder-for-hire contracts and used violence to enforce its operations. The indictment further alleges proceeds from criminal activities were sent to the group’s leadership in India.
Investigators also claim the syndicate targeted extortion victims by threatening relatives in India and, in some cases, worked with corrupt officials in Punjab to file false criminal cases against rivals before demanding payments.
Following the indictment, prosecutors sought Kaushal’s pretrial detention, arguing he posed both a flight risk and a danger to the community.
According to Indian officials, Operation Hard Ball has led to 24 arrests across the United States, Canada and Spain, and 37 indictments. They describe the operation as a significant effort to dismantle criminal networks with alleged links to the Khalistan movement.
The FBI is also seeking Goldy Brar, offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
