Nitish Kaushal, member of Bhagwanpuria gang, arrested in US

In US, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested alleged Bhagwanpuria gang associate Nitish Kaushal in Vermont, days after adding him to its list of wanted criminals. Kaushal, who is accused of being involved with the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria organised crime group, was wanted by US authorities over allegations of participating in a transnational criminal network linked to violent crimes. The FBI had earlier identified Kaushal as a key associate of the gang, which investigators say operates across India and North America. The group has been accused of involvement in crimes including murder, kidnapping, extortion, drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, money laundering and human smuggling.The FBI had issued a federal arrest warrant for Kaushal after he was charged with conspiracy under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations (RICO) Act, a law often used by US authorities to prosecute organised crime networks.
The agency had appealed to the public for information about his whereabouts before his arrest. Kaushal’s arrest comes as US law enforcement agencies intensify efforts against international criminal groups operating across borders. The Bhagwanpuria gang, named after alleged Indian gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, has been accused by authorities of expanding its activities beyond India, with links to criminal operations in North America.
According to the FBI's official wanted notice, Kaushal, also known by the alias "Lala,"is wanted for his alleged involvement in the Bhagwanpuria OCG, which the agency described as "a transnational criminal organisation engaged in, among other things, acts involving murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, extortion, weapons trafficking, money laundering, and human smuggling." Several individuals facing charges linked to such organised crime cases could face lengthy prison terms if convicted under US federal law. Earlier, in a major escalation against transnational crime syndicates operating on American soil, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) placed an alleged operative of an India-linked criminal syndicate on its most wanted list. The FBI's latest move comes on the heels of "Operation Hard Ball", a massive multinational law enforcement offensive designed to dismantle the Bhagwanpuria crime syndicate's global footprint.
The coordinated international crackdown triggered synchronised raids and enforcement actions spanning the United States, Canada, and Europe. The scale of the operation underscores the intensifying international law enforcement cooperation aimed at neutralising global crime syndicates rooted in India.