CHANDIGARH, July 16: An Indian-Canadian man with ties to an international criminal network has been arrested in the United States for orchestrating a transnational drug smuggling operation, according to U.S. court documents and Canadian media reports.
Opinder Singh Sian, 37, was taken into custody by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Nevada last month. He is accused of working closely with Ireland’s Kinahan cartel, as well as Turkish and American organized crime groups, to traffic large volumes of methamphetamine and precursor chemicals used to manufacture fentanyl.
A judge in Nevada has ordered Sian to remain in custody while awaiting transfer to California, where an affidavit outlining the charges against him was filed. The Vancouver Sun confirmed that although Sian has been detained, no other suspects have yet been charged in connection with the case.
Investigators allege that Sian was at the heart of a conspiracy to source precursor chemicals from China and funnel narcotics through the Port of Los Angeles for international distribution, primarily to Australia. These operations, officials say, were made possible by a network of criminal collaborators across several countries.
Sian has known links to the Brothers Keepers gang, a violent organized crime group based in Surrey, British Columbia, that has built alliances with international syndicates. He previously survived two shooting incidents in Surrey in 2008 and 2011, events that marked his deep entrenchment in gangland activity.
“This is a clear example of how international crime groups cooperate across borders, often with remarkable sophistication,” said a federal official familiar with the case, speaking on background.
Scott McGregor, a former Canadian military intelligence officer, told Global News that the Lower Mainland of British Columbia has become a focal point for international crime syndicates. “Vancouver is the centre of gravity for hybrid warfare for transnational organised crime in North America,” McGregor said.
The Kinahan cartel, which has been under international scrutiny, is known for its involvement in large-scale drug trafficking and violent turf wars. Sian’s arrest adds to growing concerns about the cartel’s extended reach beyond Europe.
According to Global News, the DEA’s investigation into Sian’s network remains active, and further arrests could follow. U.S. authorities have not yet disclosed the full extent of the drug operation or its potential impact on drug markets abroad.
The case underscores the increasing complexity of drug enforcement efforts as traffickers exploit global supply chains and port infrastructure to move illicit substances on a massive scale.
