Criminals ‘wanted in India’ now using asylum route, student visas to operate criminal networks from US, Canada: Report
New Delhi [India], June 9 (HBTV): Several gangsters and organised crime operatives wanted in India on charges ranging from murder and extortion to narcotics smuggling and terror-related activities continue to allegedly run criminal networks from the United States and Canada, according to a report published by Newsweek.
The report highlighted how fugitives linked to gangs and organised criminal syndicates allegedly entered North America through student visas, asylum claims and illegal immigration routes before rebuilding networks that now operate across multiple countries.
According to Newsweek, a former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officer said the fugitives did not initially arrive to target Americans. Instead, they allegedly viewed the United States and Canada as safe locations from which to commit crimes against people in their home country. The report stated that individuals could allegedly order killings in India while residing in places such as California's Central Valley or suburbs outside Vancouver, taking advantage of lengthy extradition processes and asylum proceedings.
The report further claimed that criminal models initially used to extort businessmen in India later expanded to target shop owners in Sacramento. It alleged that logistics networks once used to move guns and cash also became involved in trafficking cocaine and chemicals used in the production of fentanyl.
According to the report, authorities in India, Canada and the United States now describe the same organisation in similar terms. While the FBI reportedly considers it one of India's most wanted criminal networks, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police describes it as a transnational criminal organisation, and Indian police identify it as a syndicate operating across continents.
Newsweek said its report was based on information from verified sources in India and other countries, federal indictments, Interpol notices, filings by India's National Investigation Agency (NIA), statements from Indian state police agencies and publicly available Canadian government records.
The report listed several individuals who have been the subject of public charges, formal designations or law enforcement actions, while noting that allegations remain allegations until proven in court.
Among those mentioned were Lawrence Bishnoi, Anmol Bishnoi, Goldy Brar, Arsh Dala, Bhanu Rana, Arvind Kumar, Sunil Kumar, Charanjit Singh and Darmanjot Singh. According to the report, these fugitives face cases in India ranging from murder, narcotics smuggling and extortion to offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Newsweek reported that investigators in India, the United States and Canada believe these networks increasingly rely on encrypted communication applications, cryptocurrency transactions and overseas handlers to coordinate operations while distancing gang leaders from direct involvement.
Haryana Special Task Force Inspector General B. Satheesh Balan told Newsweek, 'A gangster no longer needs to physically be present in Haryana to order an extortion, a shooting, or an intimidation attack.'
He described the gangs as operating through 'a hybrid model combining overseas command, digital anonymity, local execution, and psychological warfare.'
The report noted that within a few years, criminal activities had evolved from extortion and murder to involve cash and cryptocurrency transactions, while shifting from pistols to fentanyl trafficking and increasingly younger recruits.
According to the report, India has repeatedly sought the extradition of several fugitives allegedly residing in Canada and the United States, but legal and procedural hurdles have slowed deportation and extradition efforts.
The report added that US authorities have acknowledged increased cooperation with Indian agencies on organised crime and narcotics investigations, while maintaining that legal processes related to Interpol notices and asylum protections often delay enforcement action.
(ANI)