Law enforcement documents linked to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Department of Justice have alleged that the organised crime networks of Lawrence Bishnoi and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria operated an international criminal network. According to the report, the groups recruited economically vulnerable youths, minors and women through social media and allegedly used them in activities including murder, extortion and international drug trafficking.
The documents related to the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice claim that the Lawrence Bishnoi and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria crime networks extensively used social media to recruit members. According to the report, economically vulnerable youths, minors and women were contacted through Instagram, Facebook and other online platforms. They were allegedly lured with promises of money, security, identity and opportunities to travel abroad before being recruited into the gangs. The report further alleges that the recruits were later used for murder, extortion, arms supply and other criminal activities.
According to an indictment filed in a federal court in Los Angeles under Operation Hard Ball conducted in the United States, the Bhagwanpuria gang allegedly paid as little as ₹20,000 in some cases to have murders carried out in India.
According to the investigation documents, the Lawrence Bishnoi network was not limited to India. The report states that its associates established criminal operations in the United States, Canada and Europe. It alleges that loyal members were sent abroad on purportedly fraudulent student or work visas, where they were assigned roles in the gang's activities.
The report also states that Goldy Brar managed the network in North America, while Rohit Godara was active in Europe. The indictment alleges that the gang was involved in trafficking cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin in the United States, stealing drug consignments from rival gangs and sending the proceeds to India.
The documents also contain several allegations concerning Jaggu Bhagwanpuria's network. According to the report, his associate Mandeep Kaur alias Cheema was used for narcotics trafficking in the United States. A former police officer has also been accused of conspiring with gangsters to allegedly extort a family living abroad. The concerned officer's response has not been made public.
Separately, Canada's financial intelligence agency FINTRAC had earlier issued a warning stating that economically vulnerable Indian students were being threatened and lured into violent crimes. Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav also said that gangsters based abroad were targeting people aged between 18 and 30 through social media. According to him, less educated, unemployed and drug-affected youths are more susceptible to becoming involved with such criminal networks. He said Punjab Police is conducting special awareness campaigns to prevent young people from falling prey to such gangs.
