An international drug cartel with ties to the ISI, China, and Canada has been dismantled by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), resulting in the arrest of Opinder Singh Sian, also known as Thanos. Sian, an Indo-Canadian gangster, allegedly operated a global fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking ring from British Columbia.

Sian was apprehended in Arizona on June 27, 2025, following an investigation that began in 2022. Court documents indicate that Sian played a role in smuggling methamphetamine to Australia and chemicals used for fentanyl production into the United States via Canada. The investigation revealed that Sian had operational connections with chemical suppliers linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Sinaloa cartel in Mexico.

According to Canadian police, the gang Sian was associated with was involved in bulk trafficking of cocaine, MDMA, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine, as well as arms trafficking, murder, extortion, and armed robbery.

The DEA's undercover operation to apprehend Sian was initiated after his suspicious connections surfaced in 2021-2022, following a tip from a Turkish intelligence agency. At the time, Sian was a known senior member of the 'Brothers Keepers' gang, which reportedly has links to the ISI and consists primarily of foot soldiers from Punjab, India, many of whom are Canadian citizens. The gang has also been seen supporting the cause of Khalistan and participating in rallies commemorating individuals associated with the Air India bombing.

Court documents reveal that Sian arranged a meeting in Vancouver in 2023 between a confidential U.S. undercover source, known as "Queen," and a Chinese cartel member named Peter Peng Zhou. Furthermore, the DEA claims that Sian had ties to the Kinahan crime family, which is linked to Hezbollah. Before his arrest, Sian allegedly made four deliveries of methamphetamine (over 500 pounds) in southern California. The DEA's investigation has identified multiple individuals involved in the network, spanning from Turkey to Dubai.

Sian's criminal history includes surviving a shooting in August 2008 that killed his friend Gurpreet Sidhu, and another attempt on his life in May 2011, marking his rise in the Canadian underworld.