FBI names Bhagwanpuria as ‘global syndicate chief’

ChandigarhA recent 44-page indictment filed by the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has projected Punjab gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria (36) as the alleged head of one of the world’s largest transnational organised crime syndicates, claiming his network spans five continents and comprises more than 1,000 members and associates worldwide

Chandigarh

A recent 44-page indictment filed by the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has projected Punjab gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria (36) as the alleged head of one of the world’s largest transnational organised crime syndicates, claiming his network spans five continents and comprises more than 1,000 members and associates worldwide.

The indictment, prepared under ‘Operation Hard Ball’, alleges that the organisation has more than 100 members operating in the United States and maintains an international presence across India, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

The findings have come as a surprise to Punjab’s investigating agencies, particularly because Punjab Police had, in recent years, assessed that Bhagwanpuria’s influence had weakened after several of his close associates were killed in gang rivalries. On June 26, 2025, his mother, Harjit Kaur (52), and his cousin, Karanvir Singh (29), were shot dead by bike-borne assailants in Batala. The targeted attack occurred on Qadian Road, where the rival Davinder Bambiha Gang claimed responsibility for the incident.

From petty criminal to international network

Bhagwanpuria, whose real name is Jagdeep Singh, began his criminal career as a petty chain snatcher before entering organised crime around 2011. A native of Bhagwanpur village in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district, he allegedly built a criminal organisation that expanded far beyond its roots in Punjab.

The indictment claims Bhagwanpuria initially operated alongside gangster Lawrence Bishnoi before establishing an independent syndicate that eventually emerged as a rival criminal network with international reach.

Punjab Police had named Bhagwanpuria as one of the conspirators in the murder of singer Sidhu Moosewala in 2022. He later parted ways with the Lawrence Bishnoi-Goldy Brar network following the high-profile killing and had since been running an independent organisation.

Running crime syndicate empire from inside jail

Bhagwanpuria has been lodged in Silchar jail in Assam since March 2025 after being detained by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) under the PIT-NDPS Act for allegedly facilitating international drug trafficking. Before his transfer, he was incarcerated in Punjab and currently faces more than 139 FIRs registered in the state.

Despite spending more than a decade in prison, the FBI alleges Bhagwanpuria remained the supreme decision-maker of the organisation by using contraband mobile phones and internet-based communication devices.

Investigators claim members across different countries regularly transferred portions of their earnings from narcotics trafficking, extortion and contract killings to Bhagwanpuria and his associates in India.

Drug trafficking at the core

The FBI describes international narcotics trafficking as the syndicate’s principal source of revenue.

According to investigators, the network allegedly managed large-scale transportation of cocaine and methamphetamine across the US before moving consignments into Canada. Regional coordinators reportedly supervised transportation cells comprising truck drivers, couriers and handlers, with individual shipments often exceeding 100 kilograms.

The indictment also alleges the organisation functioned as a logistics provider for other drug trafficking groups, facilitating cross-border transportation through passenger vehicles, commercial trucks and established smuggling routes.

Recruitment focused on vulnerable youth

One of the key findings in the indictment concerns the syndicate’s alleged recruitment strategy. The FBI claims the organisation deliberately targeted economically vulnerable youth, including minors, in India. Recruits were allegedly enticed with promises of quick money, influence and opportunities to migrate overseas.

Investigators allege juveniles were frequently assigned violent crimes to minimise legal consequences, while contract killings were sometimes executed for as little as ₹20,000. Those considered loyal were allegedly sent to countries such as the US and Canada to strengthen overseas operations.

Extortion, weapons and corruption

Beyond narcotics trafficking, the indictment accuses the syndicate of operating an extensive criminal enterprise involving extortion, kidnapping, firearms trafficking, money laundering, contract killings and human smuggling.

The FBI also alleges that members cultivated corrupt public officials and law enforcement personnel in India to facilitate extortion and falsely implicate rivals in criminal cases, using such cases to pressure victims into paying money.

In North America, investigators claim associates obtained firearms through straw purchasers before selling them within the United States or smuggling them into Canada.

Undercover operation forms key evidence

The indictment details multiple undercover operations conducted in California, during which the FBI informants allegedly negotiated cocaine deals, monitored the movement of nearly 100 kilograms of cocaine and heroin and documented illegal firearms transactions involving suspected syndicate members.

In one instance, investigators allege Bhagwanpuria personally ordered the release of a kidnapped man in California to resolve an internal dispute over a drug consignment, demonstrating his continued authority despite imprisonment.

The FBI further claims that in February 2026, Bhagwanpuria coordinated what he believed to be the transportation of a 20-kilogram cocaine shipment before later informing an associate that the “whole load got caught” after authorities intercepted what was, in reality, a sham consignment created as part of an undercover operation.