FBI seeks Indian national Harmanveer Singh in drug probe

Following a major crackdown on India-linked crime syndicates, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued a federal wanted notice for Harmanveer Singh. He is an Indian national accused of helping the Ravinder Dhanda Organised Crime Group smuggle drugs across the border in Vancouver, Canada.

The FBI led Operation Hard Ball for several years, working with the RCMP and other international partners. The investigation resulted in three federal indictments charging 37 people with crimes like racketeering, extortion, violence, firearms offences, and international drug trafficking. Authorities arrested 24 people in the US, Canada, and Europe, but several fugitives, including Singh, remain at large.

Operation Hard Ball was announced in Los Angeles in early July 2026. It targeted three criminal groups based in India that operate in North America and other regions. One of these is the Bishnoi Organised Crime Group, led by Lawrence Bishnoi, who has been in jail since 2015 and reportedly uses smuggled cellphones.

The Bhagwanpuria gang, led by jailed gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, was involved in murder-for-hire, weapons trafficking, and extortion. The Ravinder Dhanda drug trafficking network mainly operated in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland.

Officials described these groups as “brutalOfficials called these groups “brutal transnational organisations that have terrorised families, exploited communities, and stolen lives.” US First Assistant Attorney Bill Essayli said, “Transnational criminal gangs who spread fear, drugs, and violence will face the full force of justice... There is no safe harbour for these thugs.” nd arrest warrants. They seized more than 1,000 kilograms of drugs, mostly cocaine and methamphetamine, along with a kilogram of heroin. Officers also found dozens of firearms, including a fully automatic machine gun, and tens of thousands of dollars in cash.

The Dhanda organisation is known for allegedly acting as a professional smuggling broker. The indictment says Ravinder Singh Dhanda, also known as “John Wick,” ran operations in the Vancouver area, including White Rock and Surrey. He is accused of organising the storage, transport, smuggling, and distribution of methamphetamine, cocaine, and other drugs across the US-Canada border each week.

The network is accused of hiding hundreds of kilograms of drugs in long-haul semi-trucks carrying real cargo and in farm trucks near the border. It offered “international smuggling services” to drug trafficking groups in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. From March 2024 to July 2025, the group allegedly stole about 520 kilograms of cocaine from rivals in the Los Angeles area. Dhanda was arrested in British Columbia during the operation and now faces extradition to the United States. The civil forfeiture director in British Columbia is also trying to seize two of his Metro Vancouver properties, worth millions of dollars, claiming they were bought with money from crime.

Harmanveer Singh, born September 26, 1994, is wanted for his alleged role in the Dhanda conspiracy. A federal arrest warrant was issued for him on June 23, 2026, in the US District Court for the Central District of California. He is accused of conspiracy to distribute and possess controlled substances, conspiracy to export controlled substances, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Singh also goes by the names “Hari Gautam” and “Harman Sandhu.” He is described as an Indian male, 5’7” tall, weighing 190 pounds, with black hair and black eyes.

The indictment does not specify Singh’s exact role in the group. Still, his inclusion among the accused shows that law enforcement considers him part of the Dhanda network’s drug trafficking and export operations. He is still a fugitive, and the FBI is actively seeking information about his whereabouts. The Dhanda case highlights drug smuggling between the US and Canada. The network is said to have moved drugs in commercial vehicles, sometimes with help from corrupt insiders.

Operation Hard Ball is a rare example of cooperation between the US, Canada, India, and Europe against these crime syndicates. As of mid-July 2026, Harmanveer Singh is still on the run. The FBI asks anyone with information to contact their local field office, the nearest US embassy or consulate, or to submit tips online.