The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) called it "Operation Hard Ball" — the largest international crackdown yet on India-based organized crime gangs.
Last week, it led to the arrest of 24 suspects across the United States, Canada and Spain and the indictment of 37 defendants.
At its center was Lawrence Bishnoi, a jailed Indian gangster whom US prosecutors accuse of directing murders, extortion and international drug trafficking from inside a prison in Gujarat state using smuggled mobile phones.
His alleged deputy, Goldy Brar, also known as Satinderjeet Singh Brar, remains a fugitive with a $50,000 (€43,735) FBI reward on his head.
How the Bishnoi gang expanded beyond India
