Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is demanding the federal government add the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, an India-based crime syndicate tied to extortion and targeted shootings in Canada, to the country’s list of terrorist organizations.
Speaking in Surrey, Poilievre said the Bishnoi gang has become a transnational menace, using extortion and violence to terrorize communities across British Columbia, Ontario, and Alberta. Surrey RCMP report at least 10 extortion cases in the city in the past six months, including threats against members of the South Asian business community.
“There’s evidence now that their violence is linked to terror and to political motivations,” Poilievre said. “Listing this gang as a terrorist entity will shut down an international extortion network that has terrorized communities.”
In one case, a Surrey businessman was told to hand over $2 million or face violence. Businesses tied to him were targeted by gunfire three times. Police in Ontario’s Peel Region have also linked the Bishnoi gang to similar shootings and threats, with Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown warning that local business owners are increasingly being forced to pay protection money.
The Bishnoi gang has also been connected to intimidation schemes in Calgary and Edmonton, where police recently launched campaigns urging South Asian residents to report extortion attempts.
Poilievre argued that declaring the group a terrorist entity would give law enforcement more power to investigate, freeze assets, and lay charges against anyone providing financial or material support.
Other political leaders echo the call for action. B.C. Premier David Eby, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, and Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown have all pressed Ottawa to take steps.
“Law enforcement has spoken out about the organized chaos and violence this group has done in our country,” Poilievre told reporters. “That’s why mayors across the country and premiers have said this organization should be banned.”
The Liberals have so far stopped short of committing to the move. Simon Lafortune, press secretary for the public safety minister, said only that “national security experts independently evaluate and provide recommendations on whether any entity meets the thresholds set out in the Criminal Code. That process is rigorous and ongoing.”
Canada has previously listed seven criminal organizations as terrorist entities, including Mexico’s powerful Jalisco New Generation and Sinaloa cartels, both heavily involved in fentanyl trafficking.
The group has been linked to Bollywood’s Salman Khan feud over a poaching case, as well as the 2024 assassination of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique. In Canada, investigators believe Bishnoi’s network has infiltrated diaspora communities, preying on business owners while laundering money through cross-border channels.
“Communities across Canada are under siege. It’s time for action. Designating the Bishnoi gang a terrorist entity is the first step to shutting them down.”
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