Knowledge Nugget: What is Operation ‘Hardball’ and what are Interpol Notices?

Take a look at the essential concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here’s your UPSC Current Affairs knowledge nugget on Operation ‘Hardball’ and Interpol notices.

(Relevance: This international cooperation to fight against organised crimes is important as it is a matter of internal security as well as international relations. Hardeep Singh Nijjar murder case had soured the India-Canada relationship, and the recent developments are crucial for the bilateral relations and the fight against terrorism. This is important for GS 2 as well as GS 3 paper from your UPSC Mains perspective.)

In the run-up to Operation Hardball, US law enforcement officials held several meetings with multiple central agencies in India, where they shared and verified information on gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi, Goldy Brar, Rohit Godara, Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and their associates, The Indian Express has learnt.

Key takeaways:

1. Called “Operation Hardball”, the coordinated action by law enforcement from the US, Canada and Europe led to the arrest of 24 people connected to three Indian crime syndicates, now charged with a series of crimes, the Department of Justice (DoJ) said.

2. “As part of this operation, law enforcement has seized approximately 1,000 kilograms of cocaine and 1 kilogram of heroin along with $ 40,000 in cash and a dozen firearms. A total of 23 search warrants have been executed in the Sacramento area and 11 warrants have been executed in the Los Angeles area” said the DoJ press release.

3. Almost three years after the then Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau alleged a “potential link” between Indian government agents and the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar, bringing bilateral ties to a standstill, the US in run-up to Operation Hardball has charged gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and aide Goldy Brar with ordering the assassination.

Gold Brar is wanted in India in connection with several killings and was allegedly the mastermind behind the murder of singer Sidhu Moosewala. (File Photo)

4. The US indictment said Bishnoi ordered the killing of 45-year-old Nijjar, referred to as “HSN” in court documents. While Bishnoi is lodged in Sabarmati Central Jail, the FBI has announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Satinder Singh alias Goldy Brar and is likely to seek Bishnoi’s extradition.

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What governs extradition between India and the US, and what is the process?

The bilateral Extradition Treaty of 1997 and  India’s Extradition Act, 1962 govern extradition between India and the US. At the heart of the treaty is the principle of dual criminality — an offence is extraditable if it is punishable with imprisonment of more than one year in both countries.

Typically, an extradition request would be prepared by the US Department of Justice and transmitted by the State Department to India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The MEA, in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs and agencies such as the CBI, would examine whether the request conforms to the treaty and the Extradition Act.

If the Centre decides the request merits consideration, it is placed before an Indian court, which examines whether the treaty requirements are satisfied and whether the material produced by the US would justify committal had the offence been committed in India.

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If satisfied, the court certifies the accused as extraditable and forwards its findings to the Central government. The final decision on surrender nevertheless rests with the Union government, which may impose conditions or seek diplomatic assurances before approving extradition. Any order can then be challenged before the High Court and the Supreme Court, making extradition proceedings inherently lengthy.

5. A Red Corner Notice was issued against Goldy Brar by the Interpol Secretariat General in Lyon, France. In India, a non-bailable warrant was issued against him on December 12, 2022, and a Look Out Circular on June 15, 2022. The Central government added Brar as a terrorist in the Fourth Schedule of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

6. According to the Express Opinion, “Operation Hard Ball has also exposed the transnational reach of criminal syndicates targeting the Indian diaspora not only in Canada but also in the US, Europe and Australia. This convergence enabled separatist groups to finance and sustain their agenda, while forcing security agencies to confront syndicates dealing simultaneously in drugs, terror and separatism.”

What are Interpol notices?

1. Interpol, or the International Criminal Police Organisation, established in 1923, is an intergovernmental organisation comprising 196 member countries, which helps police forces in all these countries to better coordinate their actions.

2. Interpol enables member countries to share and access data on crimes and criminals and offers a range of technical and operational support. On the request of member countries, Interpol issues notices for cooperation or alerts to police in member countries to share critical crime-related information.

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3. Interestingly, such notices can also be used by the United Nations, International Criminal Tribunals, and the International Criminal Court to seek persons wanted for committing crimes within their jurisdiction.

Interpol notices:

⇨ Red Notice: To seek the location/arrest of a person wanted by a judicial jurisdiction or an international tribunal with a view to his/her extradition.

⇨ Green Notice: To warn about a person’s criminal activities if that person is considered to be a possible threat to public safety.

⇨ Blue Notice: To locate, identify or obtain information on a person of interest in a criminal investigation.

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⇨ Yellow Notice: To locate a missing person or to identify a person unable to identify himself/herself.

⇨ Black Notice: To seek information on unidentified bodies.

⇨ Orange Notice: To warn of an event, a person, an object or a process representing an imminent threat and danger to persons or property.

⇨ Purple Notice: To provide information on modus operandi, procedures, objects, devices, or hiding places used by criminals.

⇨ Interpol UNSC Special Notice: To inform Interpol’s members that an individual or an entity is subject to UN sanctions.

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BEYOND THE NUGGET: Five Eyes Alliance

1. Canada on July 8 ruled out Indian involvement in the 2023 killing of Canadian citizen and Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, an incident that strained diplomatic relations between the two countries.

2. The development comes nearly three years after former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged security agencies were probing credible allegations of a “potential link” between Indian agents and the murder. At that time, US Ambassador to Canada David Cohen had said that it was “shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners” that helped “lead” Canada make this claim.

3. “Five Eyes” refers to an intelligence-sharing alliance of the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. It draws on both surveillance and signals intelligence.

4. According to the Canadian government’s website, “These partner countries share a broad range of intelligence with one another in one of the world’s most unified multilateral arrangements. The Five Eyes agreement stands out from other arrangements because the parties are diverse societies, governed by rule of law and robust human rights and are bonded by a common language. These characteristics aid the partners in sharing information with one another to protect their shared national interests.”

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5. Countries often engage with each other on matters of intelligence gathering and security. In recent years, common interests, such as balancing the rise of China, have led to a closer alignment among the Five Eyes countries. Some have attributed their closeness to a common language and mutual trust built over decades of association.

Post Read Question

Consider the following statements:

1. Operation Hardball was launched by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

2. India is a member of the Five Eyes Alliance.

3. Red Notice is issued by Interpol to locate, identify, or obtain information on a person of interest in a criminal investigation.

Which of the statements given above is/are incorrect?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and  3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2, and 3

Answer Key

(d)

(Sources: Operation ‘Hardball’: Indian agencies shared, verified list of names and hideouts with US, From Canadian scrutiny to FBI’s Operation Hard Ball, Knowledge nugget of the day: Interpol Red Notice )

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