The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested alleged gangster Nitish Kaushal, an associate of jailed gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, from Vermont as part of its ongoing crackdown on organised crime syndicates linked to India-origin gangsters.
Kaushal had been placed on the FBI's Most Wanted list just two days before his arrest.
The action was carried out under "Operation Hard Wall", an FBI initiative targeting organised criminal networks involving India-origin gangsters. The agency has been conducting sustained operations against such syndicates as part of the campaign.
The FBI has not yet released further details regarding the charges against Kaushal or the circumstances leading to his arrest.
Kaushal had been placed on the FBI's "most wanted" list just two days before his arrest.
"Nitish Kaushal is #wanted by the #FBI for his alleged involvement in a transnational criminal organization engaged in, among other things, acts involving murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, extortion, weapons trafficking, money laundering, and human smuggling. This organization originated in the Punjab state of India and operated in the Central District of California and elsewhere," the federal agency had said in a post on X.
The arrest came amid the FBI's intensified action against the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria Organised Crime Group (OCG), a transnational criminal network that originated in Punjab and allegedly expanded its operations to the United States, including California, and other countries.
According to the FBI, the syndicate has been involved in a range of serious offences, including murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, extortion, weapons trafficking, money laundering and human smuggling.
The FBI has alleged that Kaushal was an active member of the organisation and was involved in carrying out violent crimes, including kidnappings and assaults, on behalf of the gang. A federal arrest warrant was issued against him by the US District Court for the Central District of California on June 25, after he was charged with Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Conspiracy.
Source: India Today