The leader of the Bishnoi Gang, Lawrence Bishnoi, outside a court complex in Amritsar, India, October, 2022. The Canadian government listed the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist group last year.Hindustan Times/AFP/Getty Images
India-based organized crime groups will continue targeting small business owners in Canada unless the federal government takes concerted action to purge these gangs from our country.
More on the solutions in a moment. First, here’s a primer for readers not familiar with recent developments on this issue.
The United States Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday that police in the U.S., Canada and Europe have made 24 arrests and laid a slew of charges for alleged extortion, racketeering and drug trafficking by members of Indian gangs.
The murder of Canadian Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar is among the crimes outlined in one U.S. indictment. It alleges two leaders of the notorious Bishnoi gang ordered his assassination outside a gurdwara in Surrey, B.C., in 2023.
Let’s not kid ourselves. It’s too soon to breathe a sigh of relief.
None of the charges have been tested in court. What’s more, two of the defendants allegedly perpetrated these crimes while locked up in Indian prisons, and another 10 suspects remain on the lam in three continents, suggesting transnational criminals operate with impunity across borders.
Bishnoi gang leader charged in connection with slaying of Nijjar
The reality is that India-based crime groups, including the Bishnoi and Bhagwanpuria gangs, are so entrenched in Canada and other Western countries that this international crackdown only puts a dent in the problem.
Not only do these transnational groups operate with ease because they are decentralized, but there are also copycat criminals, which makes it difficult to determine their size.
For instance, the Bishnoi gang – which is headed by Lawrence Bishnoi, an imprisoned Indian criminal – sent a letter last year to a B.C. police station claiming that it had 1,000 gunmen on standby, according to a 2026 story by Global News. Who knows if that’s true?
Mr. Bishnoi, 33, and his alleged North American lieutenant, 32-year-old Satinderjeet Singh, who is also known as Goldy Brar, are charged with racketeering in connection to the ordering of Mr. Nijjar’s killing.
Although this particular allegation has understandably captured much attention because of Mr. Nijjar’s advocacy for a separate Sikh homeland, the Bishnoi gang appears to be motivated by greed rather than political conviction.
It has targeted a range of victims, including Bollywood actor Salman Khan, the late rapper Sidhu Moose Wala, along with many business owners across Canada – in other words, people with money and influence.
Despite major extortion bust, Brampton’s Punjabi community remains worried for its safety
Last year, the Canadian government listed the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist group, citing a worsening wave of shootings, arson and extortion. Trouble is, it has plenty of rivals in Canada.
Aside from the aforementioned Bhagwanpuria gang (headed by Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, another imprisoned Indian criminal), the Bambiha Gang and For Brothers are also linked to extortion and other crimes in Canada.
The extortion crisis is so acute that the mayors of Brampton, Ont., and Surrey, B.C., have urged the federal government to declare a national emergency.
Ottawa must heed their call. We already know these gangs operate in other provinces, including Alberta and Manitoba.
So far this year, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada has generated 194 disclosures of “actionable financial intelligence” to support police investigations of extortion across the country. Each disclosure can include numerous related financial transactions.
“Victims are often small and medium-sized business owners in sectors like retail, transportation, construction, real estate, and hospitality,” states FinTRAC in a special bulletin, adding that extortion demands range from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars.
Ottawa must also be accountable for the border-security lapses that enabled these gangs to recruit international students and other temporary residents. It is outrageous that some suspects have claimed refugee status to avoid deportation.
Importantly, the Carney government must consult business owners themselves about possible solutions.
Too many entrepreneurs already fear for their personal safety, according to research from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. As the CFIB rightly notes, security rebate programs for crime costs don’t solve the whole problem.
Canada also needs to offer proper whistle-blower protections so that ordinary people, including newcomers, feel safe enough to report criminal activity to police.
After all, this is not the first time that Canada has confronted an extortion crisis involving South Asian diaspora members.
Back in 2006, The Globe and Mail reported extensively about how the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam were routinely extorting Sri Lankan entrepreneurs for up to $100,000 each.
Transnational gangs based in South Asia thrive in part because diaspora members are too afraid to call the police, and because other Canadians may not be aware of the rampant criminal activity.
Nonetheless, extortion is a national security issue. That means Ottawa must co-ordinate a nationwide response.