The US Drug Enforcement Administration has arrested Opinder Singh Sian, a 37-year-old Canadian gangster and drug smuggler in Nevada for running a transnational drug operation along with a notorious Irish gang Kinahan Cartel. US court documents reveal Sian was supported by Turkish and American criminal organizations, and was involved in a conspiracy to import 'precursor chemicals from China and export narcotics through the port of Los Angeles to Australia.’ In another incident, eight men of Panjab origin were arrested in San Joaquin County, California as part of a crackdown on gang violence by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation. According to San Joaquin County Sheriff Pat Withrow, the investigation began 21 Jun after community tips informed them about a crime that took place on 19 Jun in Manteca. The victim said the men kidnapped him, stripped him naked, and bound and tortured him for hours. Among those arrested is Pavittar Singh alias Chaura, allegedly the leader of the Pavittar Maj(h)a Group (sic) which has links to various international criminal organizations. Those arrested are part of an extortion racket that stretches from California to murder plots in India. Each person was booked into the San Joaquin County Jail on multiple charges, including kidnapping, torture, false imprisonment, assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and making criminal threats. Meanwhile, in Canada, on 15 Jul, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and the province’s Minister for Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis called for the Lawrence Bishnoi gang to be labelled a ‘terrorist organization’. Smith said, 'The Lawrence Bishnoi Gang is a transnational criminal network responsible for violence, extortion, drug trafficking and targeted killings, including here in Canada. Its reach is global, and its intent is criminal and violent.' They added labelling the gang as terrorists 'will allow provincial law enforcement agencies to access necessary resources needed to effectively disrupt operations and protect our people.' Concurrently, in Singapore, a 22-year-old Indian student Legha Pawan has been sentenced to 35 months in prison for pushing Jasbir Singh, a 33-year-old construction worker, on the night of 30 June 2024 (earlier coverage).
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