A British Columbia resident has been released on bail while contesting extradition to the United States for allegations of overseeing a drug operation that brought in large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine into Canada.
Ravinder Singh Dhanda’s sureties are required to post a $700,000 bail, and he must adhere to electronic monitoring and 24-hour house arrest until his extradition hearing.
Dhanda, attired in a dark grey suit and white collared shirt, remained subdued during the court proceedings and gestured approval to relatives present in the courtroom when the judge made the decision.
Dhanda, along with Jaskarn Baghri and Gurtej Smagh, was apprehended in July as part of a joint initiative between the RCMP and the FBI known as Operation Hard Ball.
According to U.S. authorities, Dhanda orchestrated the smuggling scheme utilizing long-haul trucks to transport over 430 kilograms of cocaine from the Los Angeles region to Canada between July 2023 and November 2024.
The charges against Dhanda include conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, orchestrating a criminal enterprise, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, with a potential sentence of life imprisonment upon conviction in the U.S.
CBC News successfully challenged a publication ban restricting the disclosure of evidence presented during the bail hearings for the trio.
During the hearing, it was revealed that Dhanda allegedly dispatched an individual, referred to as CHS, to the U.S. to manage drug shipments, unknowing that CHS was actually a confidential informant assisting U.S. authorities.
Court records disclosed that Dhanda and CHS coordinated multiple drug shipments from L.A. over the subsequent 18 months, which were intercepted by law enforcement.
Moreover, a meeting between Dhanda, CHS, an undercover RCMP officer, and the co-accused Baghri and Smagh in Surrey in January 2025 was reported, where discussions on drug trafficking and extortions took place.
Despite the Crown’s request to detain Dhanda based on concerns of flight risk due to his alleged criminal leadership, the judge ruled in favor of bail, citing Dhanda’s long-standing ties to the community and lack of access to significant assets.
Additional conditions for Dhanda’s release include house arrest, ankle monitoring, regularly checking in with a bail supervisor, using only one phone, and refraining from possessing weapons or contacting his co-accused.
Dhanda is scheduled for his next court appearance on September 9, while his co-accused’s legal proceedings are ongoing.