New Delhi: A key member of the Lawrence Bishnoi network, Garinder Deo, has been arrested in France. Deo, who allegedly conspired to move massive shipments of cocaine and heroin across the US, faces extradition to Canada.In a parallel crackdown, Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Tribunal has ordered the deportation of another gang associate, Jashandeep Singh, for his alleged role in hiding the weapon used in a firing outside comedian Kapil Sharma’s cafe in Surrey.The multi-nation sweep, tied to an extensive global law enforcement initiative, Operation Hardball, earlier led to the US Department of Justice (DOJ) filing comprehensive indictments against Lawrence and other key operatives. In the aftermath of the coordinated international crackdown, more arrests, including in India, are likely, sources said.According to the US DOJ indictment, Deo played a crucial role in managing the financial logistics for Lawrence’s transatlantic criminal network. US authorities allege that he conspired to traffic massive quantities of narcotics, orchestrating the transport of illicit drugs from Southern California to eastern US. This network suffered a major blow in June 2025 when American agencies seized a massive shipment containing around 100kg cocaine and one kg heroin linked to the syndicate.Simultaneously, the Lawrence gang faced another setback in North America as Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Board ordered the deportation of Jashandeep Singh. It is directly tied to an extortion and intimidation plot targeting prominent Indian entertainment figures, specifically involving the Surrey shooting.Investigative agencies established that Singh had assisted the syndicate by concealing the firearm used in the drive-by shooting. While formal criminal charges have not been finalised in court, immigration authorities ruled that his presence constituted a threat to public safety. Singh, who arrived in Canada in 2022 on a student visa, has denied all allegations.This follows the recent deportation of another gang member, Arshdeep Singh. These rapid operational developments underscore the growing efficacy of Operation Hardball, which aims to dismantle the infrastructure, financial pipelines and safe havens utilised by Indian organised crime syndicates operating in the West.The operation relies on real-time intelligence sharing among agencies in the US, Canada, France and India, reflecting a zero-tolerance approach towards the Lawrence gang’s expanding footprint in drug trafficking, extortion and violent crimes globally.In another development, a 63-year-old Indian-origin man, Guramrit Sidhu from Brampton, Ontario, has been sentenced to 20 years in a US federal prison for masterminding a cross-border drug trafficking network that smuggled hundreds of kilogrammes of methamphetamine and cocaine, valued at up to $17 million, from the US into Canada in a month.
