Washington: A major international investigation led by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has alleged that a Punjab Police officer helped an India-based organised crime syndicate fabricate criminal cases and carry out extortion.
According to federal indictments unsealed in Los Angeles as part of Operation Hard Ball, a Punjab Police officer identified as Gurinderjit Singh allegedly worked with members of the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria organised crime group to falsely implicate rivals in murder cases and extort money from victims.
The allegations are detailed in documents released by the US Department of Justice, which stated that corruption at the local level in Punjab allegedly enabled transnational criminal networks to operate across multiple countries.
As per the indictment, in April 2026, Gurlal Singh, a 22-year-old Indian national living illegally in Stockton, California, and an alleged member of the Bhagwanpuria syndicate, shared the details of a victim with Gurinderjit Singh. Investigators believe Gurinderjit Singh was serving as a Station House Officer (SHO) in Punjab at the time.
US authorities allege that the officer assisted the syndicate by using his official position to target individuals with fabricated criminal accusations while facilitating extortion activities.
The allegations form part of Operation Hard Ball, a coordinated law enforcement operation involving agencies from the United States, Canada and Europe, targeting transnational organised crime networks linked to India.
The claims are based on US federal court indictments. There has been no official response from the Punjab Police or Gurinderjit Singh regarding the allegations at the time of publication.
