As Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in the United States this week, Indian authorities have prepared a list of fugitives wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and police. New Delhi will hand the file to Washington, seeking action against infamous criminals, including Goldy Brar and Anmol Bishnoi.

India's top security agencies have prepared a detailed list of gangsters believed to be hiding in the United States at the order of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). While intelligence agencies have been tracking criminals who fled the country for years, the current action is targeted only against those who are currently operating out of the US, along with the status of legal proceedings against them.

“Following the MHA’s directions, the list of 12 criminals was prepared and their criminal dossiers were attached. Also attached is a note on the efforts of Indian agencies (to bring them back),” said a source

Anmol Bishnoi's arrest in the US

Anmol Bishnoi, brother of infamous gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, has been in US custody since November after immigration officials arrested him on fake documents. He is believed to have planned the conspiracy to murder former Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Baba Siddique. A special court in Mumbai had issued non-bailable warrants against him and two other suspects in Siddique's murder just last month.

Read: NIA offers ₹10 lakh reward for Lawrence Bishnoi’s brother Anmol

Goldy Brar: Mastermind of Sidhu Moosewala's murder

Satinderjit Singh, also known as Goldy Brar, has been declared a terrorist under India's Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. A top Bishnoi gang member, Brar is believed to be the mastermind of the assassination of popular Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala. Born in Faridkot, Punjab, Brar had gone to Canada on a student visa in 2017 before eventually settling in California.

Darmanjot Singh from Talwandi Khuman in Amritsar is reported to have supplied firearms and to have coordinated a scout of Moosewala before his murder. “Kahlon is one of the key links between Canada-based BKI operative Lakhbir Singh alias Landa and Lawrence Bishnoi’s syndicate. He has been actively involved in a range of criminal activities, including the smuggling of weapons, explosives, and heroin into India from Pakistan,” an official said.

Amritpal Singh, widely known as Amrit Bal moved to the US in 2014. “He is an active member of the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang and manages the gang’s illegal in Punjab through his local network. In 2023, he also formed an association with Paramjit Singh Pamma to raise terror modules in Punjab,” a source said.

“Most of these US-based gangsters are in touch with Pakistan-based smugglers to smuggle huge quantities of narcotics from Pakistan to India. Apart from using drones to smuggle narcotics consignments, the large consignments smuggled by gangsters-cum-smugglers into India are mostly smuggled through the sea route. They use VPNs to mask their location and encrypt communications, making it difficult to trace. They are using encrypted messaging apps for secure communication,” the source added.

With the high-level diplomatic meeting scheduled to take place, India is eager to seal its request for extradition or judicial proceedings against such criminals. 

Read: why is Lawrence Bishnoi not in Mumbai Police custody?