Punjab, once celebrated for its prosperity and resilience against militancy and fundamentalism, now confronts an unprecedented internal security crisis: A sprawling ecosystem of criminal gangs tied to narcotics trafficking, extortion, targeted killings, and transnational shooter networks operating from Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, parts of Europe, and the Gulf. The darkly gritty operational world of Lawrence Bishnoi, Goldy Brar, Vicky Gounder, Dilpreet Singh, Sukha Kahlon, Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, and more than a hundred smaller shooter groups has entrenched a violent, well-networked gang culture. These gangs and their shooters — many operating from jail and far more sophisticated than Gangs of Wasseypur — have created a new jungle raj in Punjab.

Against this backdrop of a Punjab bes

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