Recent investigations have uncovered a deepening and dangerous web of connections among Khalistani separatists, Pakistani intelligence, Latin American drug cartels, and Chinese chemical suppliers, with Canada serving as a critical transit and operational hub.

Central to this new axis of narco-terror is the trafficking of fentanyl—a synthetic opioid that has devastated communities in the US and elsewhere—which is now being harnessed as a weapon to destabilise societies and fund extremist movements.

The ISI–China–Khalistan–Cartel Pipeline: Key Developments

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recently brought to light the scale of this transnational operation by arresting Opinder Singh Sian, alias 'Thanos', an Indo-Canadian gangster in Arizona. Sian, linked to the notorious Brothers Keepers gang in British Columbia, stands accused of orchestrating a global fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking network with direct operational ties to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Chinese chemical suppliers associated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and the Sinaloa cartel of Mexico.

The DEA probe began in 2022 following intelligence from Turkey and eventually revealed Sian's pivotal role as an intermediary between ISI handlers in Lahore, Chinese dual-use chemical firms, and North American drug syndicates.

The DEA's court filings detail how Sian organised the import of fentanyl precursors from China into Vancouver before shipping them south, often via front trucking companies, for distribution to Los Angeles and further afield. Sian also facilitated bulk methamphetamine shipments to Australia. 

Undercover DEA operatives, posing as buyers, uncovered multiple meetings between Sian and Chinese national Peter Peng Zhou in Vancouver, where the logistics of bringing in 100 kilograms of fentanyl precursor chemicals per month from China were meticulously planned. In parallel, Sian was involved in direct collaborations with the Sinaloa cartel to traffic massive quantities of meth, with proceeds laundered through cryptocurrency and hawala systems using fronts in Hong Kong, Dubai, and Lahore.

Khalistan Separatists And Chinese Political Influence

Although no definitive operational alliance between Khalistani terror groups and the Chinese state has yet surfaced, a pattern of mutual manipulation is taking shape. During the 2020 India–China border standoff, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ)—a US-based separatist group designated as a terror organisation by India—publicly sided with Beijing, writing to President Xi Jinping and urging UN advocacy for Punjab’s “right to self-determination.” Pannun thanked China for its support of Khalistani referendums and expressed readiness for his campaigners to visit Beijing. Intelligence reports also highlight SFJ’s letters to Chinese officials seeking political and strategic backing against India.

Social Media Manipulation And Propaganda

China’s involvement extends beyond hard narcotics. In 2024, Meta revealed that a network of fake, China-origin social media accounts was systematically targeting the global Sikh community with manipulated imagery and false narratives to stoke the Khalistan movement. This network fabricated an activist campaign called “Operation K” to heighten pro-Khalistan sentiment worldwide, underscoring a hybrid strategy of subversion and psychological warfare.

Implications For Security And Geopolitics

Authorities in India, the United States, and other countries now view this ISI–China–Cartel connection as a direct threat to national security, blending narco-terrorism, separatist financing, arms smuggling, and cyber influence operations. Vancouver—once a commercial port—has emerged as a key global node for this hybrid threat. Gangs with ties to Khalistan have been directly implicated in commemorations for known terrorists, laundering drug proceeds, and recruiting for sleeper cells in Punjab, Delhi, and Kashmir.

Conclusion

The growing partnership among Khalistani separatists, China’s chemical industry, Pakistan’s ISI, and transnational drug cartels is evolving into a sophisticated, multi-layered security threat. This nexus now leverages narcotics trafficking, propaganda, and political lobbying as tools of destabilisation, highlighting an urgent need for enhanced counterterrorism cooperation and vigilance across affected regions.

Based On TOI Inputs