Anmol Bishnoi — long viewed as the quiet extension of Lawrence Bishnoi’s criminal empire — has now become a central figure in the syndicate’s global operations, despite being only 25 years old. His deportation to India marks one of the most significant breakthroughs in recent years for Indian security agencies attempting to crack down on the gang’s expanding overseas network.
Born on December 15, 2000, in Abohar, Fazilka, Anmol rose rapidly within the criminal hierarchy after his brother’s imprisonment. He soon became the syndicate’s international strategist, orchestrating extortion, targeted killings and arms smuggling from safehouses abroad. His arrest in the United States, the rejection of his asylum plea, and his eventual deportation to India have now placed him at the centre of multiple high-stakes investigations.
Despite his age, Anmol faces more than two dozen cases across India under MCOCA and terror-related charges. The dossier prepared by Indian agencies paints him as a high-value operative with deep ties to pro-Khalistan groups such as Babbar Khalsa International. His operations were allegedly overseen using encrypted communication apps, allowing him to run extortion networks and terrorism-linked activities while avoiding detection.
Investigators say that from 2022 onward, Anmol coordinated extortion rackets, funnelled money into offshore investments, and maintained connections with criminal and extremist networks. Extortion proceeds were allegedly moved through hawala routes into countries like Canada and Thailand. From there, the money was invested into sports clubs, film ventures, nightclubs, bars, and even yacht businesses. Agencies recently seized nearly Rs 18 crore in assets belonging to the family of a key money handler working for the syndicate, highlighting the financial depth of the gang's global operations.
His involvement in some of India’s most high-profile crimes is well documented. Authorities say he helped coordinate the May 2022 murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala from abroad. He is also suspected of involvement in the killing of NCP leader Baba Siddique and the April 2024 firing outside actor Salman Khan’s home in Mumbai — crimes that expanded the Bishnoi gang’s footprint into national headlines.
Anmol’s criminal history goes back to his teenage years. He was first arrested in 2017 for firing outside a Jodhpur businessman’s office after he refused to pay extortion money. Booked under serious charges, including attempt to murder, he spent several years in Jodhpur Central Jail before being released on bail in October 2021. Soon after his release, facing threats from rival gangs, he fled India using a passport issued just days earlier. His escape trail took him across Dubai, Kenya and finally the United States.
His life abroad was marked by a carefully constructed anonymity — until videos emerged in April 2023 showing him dancing openly at a wedding in Bakersfield, California, despite an active Interpol Red Corner Notice. The exposure triggered renewed efforts by Indian agencies, culminating in the US authorities detaining him in late 2024.
His deportation to India on Wednesday ended months of diplomatic and intelligence coordination. A Delhi court has placed him in 11-day custody after an in-camera hearing. Investigators believe interrogating him will help unravel the Bishnoi syndicate’s global architecture — its foreign financiers, safehouses, hawala channels, and international recruitment mechanisms.
With his return, Indian agencies expect the most detailed insights yet into how one of the country’s deadliest criminal-terror networks expanded beyond borders under the leadership of a 25-year-old operating from the shadows.
