Three B.C. men arrested in U.S. federal crackdown on Indian organized crime groups
White Rock's Ravinder Dhanda, Surrey's Jaskarn Baghri, and Creston's Gurtej Smagh face charges of cocaine and methamphetamine smuggling across the Canada-U.S. border.
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Three men from B.C. were arrested Tuesday in connection with "Operation Hard Ball," a major joint U.S. and Canadian investigation into Indian-based transnational organized crime groups involved in drug trafficking, extortion, and murder.
The RCMP confirmed Wednesday that Ravinder Dhanda, 57, of White Rock; Jaskarn Baghri, 50, of Surrey; and Gurtej Smagh, 43, of Creston were taken into custody without incident.
According to a U.S. indictment, Dhanda operated a cocaine and methamphetamine distribution network and, alongside Baghri, oversaw the storage and transportation of controlled substances across the U.S.-Canada border. Smagh is alleged to have received information from someone working with the Canadian Border Services Agency about border inspection timing and enforcement actions, which was used to facilitate smuggling.
The investigation found that over 948 pounds of cocaine was shipped across international borders between July 2023 and November 2024. All three men have been charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess controlled substances, conspiracy to export controlled substances, operating a continuing criminal enterprise, and five counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
The broader investigation, led by the RCMP and FBI, resulted in 24 arrests connected to three crime organizations and is seeking 10 fugitives—seven in the U.S., two in India, and one in Europe.
