FBI arrests gangster Nitish Kaushal days after adding him to most wanted list

US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Thursday arrested Indian-origin man Nitish Kaushal in Vermont, days after adding him to its Most Wanted list as part of its crackdown on transnational organised crime.The FBI said Kaushal was arrested as authorities closed in on the Bhagwanpuria gang.According to the agency, Kaushal is allegedly involved in murder, kidnapping and drug trafficking in the US. The FBI said the Indian national carried out violent acts on behalf of the Bhagwanpuria organised crime group, including kidnappings and assaults.“Nitish Kaushal is wanted by the FBI for his alleged involvement in a transnational criminal organisation engaged in, among other things, acts involving murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, extortion, weapons trafficking, money laundering and human smuggling,” the agency had said earlier this week.The FBI had also warned that Kaushal should be considered armed, dangerous, and an escape risk.The US District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles issued a federal arrest warrant for Kaushal on June 25 after charging him with racketeering conspiracy.The arrest follows Operation Hard Ball, a coordinated international law enforcement operation targeting the Bhagwanpuria gang.The operation involved raids across the US, Canada, and Europe, underscoring growing international efforts to dismantle transnational criminal syndicates with roots in India.Earlier this month, US federal prosecutors charged jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his close associate Goldy Brar with ordering the assassination of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.The FBI and other law enforcement agencies have also carried out extensive raids targeting the Lawrence Bishnoi network in the United States.