Canadian Immigration Officers Investigating Hundreds Identified By Extortion Task Force - Beritaja

Canadian migration officials are investigating hundreds of overseas citizens identified by B.C.’s anti-extortion unit, according to caller figures released to BERITAJA.

The Canada Border Services Agency said it had launched probes into 296 group who were “brought to our attraction by B.C Extortion Task Force partner agencies arsenic persons of interest.”

The latest statistics, which are arsenic of Feb. 4, correspond a sharp increase from conscionable a period ago, erstwhile the task unit said that conscionable complete 100 CBSA investigations were underway.

Immigration enforcement officers are reviewing the files for “potential inadmissibility,” meaning the CBSA whitethorn effort to region the individuals from Canada for migration violations.

“As a consequence of these investigations, 32 group person been issued a removal order, including 10 group who person already been removed from Canada,” the CBSA said successful a statement.

Another 9 are awaiting hearings astatine the Immigration and Refugee Board that could consequence successful deportation orders.

The statistic propose the crackdown against the extortion gangs that person dispersed fearfulness successful Canadian cities pinch ample South Asian populations is turning up an expanding number of overseas nationals who should not beryllium successful the country.

Along pinch Ontario, Alberta and Manitoba, B.C. is facing a activity of crimes successful which India-based crime groups are demanding ample sums of money from victims, about of whom are Canadians of Sikh background.

Those targeted are first threatened complete the phone. If they don’t salary up, their homes and businesses are often sprayed pinch bullets aliases group connected fire. The gangs person besides been blamed for killings.

The unit has typically been carried retired by locally recruited Indian nationals who entered Canada connected student and activity permits that person since expired.

Behind the strategy are a fistful of criminal organizations, notably the pack of Lawrence Bishnoi, who has been capable to run retired of an Indian prison.

The conflict against extortion, however, is analyzable by the Bishnoi gang’s suspected ties to the Indian government, which Canada is presently courting for a waste and acquisition deal.

Asked to explicate the abrupt summation successful extortion-related cases, the CBSA did not supply an reply by deadline. The RCMP did not respond to requests for comment.

Last September, Ottawa placed the Bishnoi pack connected its list of violent entities, blaming it for targeting South Asian organization leaders, businesses and taste figures.

The B.C. government, meanwhile, formed an extortion task force that is led by the RCMP and includes migration enforcement officers.

“In delivering connected its nationalist information mandate, the CBSA useful pinch rule enforcement partners to free Canada of overseas criminals who person nary correct to beryllium here,” the task unit said successful a Jan. 20 update.

B.C. Premier David Eby and Mayor Brenda Locke of Surrey, the metropolis wherever galore of the extortions person occurred, person been seeking much national support.

Calling extortions a “slow-motion panic attack,” Eby has successfully lobbied for much constabulary officers and helicopters for communities impacted by the crisis.

He has besides called for changes to deportations, saying it was “ludicrous” that immoderate extortion suspects had claimed exile status, apt delaying their removals.

The Bishnoi gang’s extortions and murders for prosecute are money-making ventures, but the crime group has besides acted connected behalf of India’s government, according to the RCMP.

Canada believes India has utilized Lawrence Bishnoi to target Canadians progressive successful the Khalistan separatist movement, which advocates for independency for the Sikh-majority Punjab.

Evidence of the gang’s suspected activity for the Indian government came to ray pursuing the 2023 execution of Sikh temple leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar successful Surrey, B.C.

His assassination was allegedly carried retired by 4 Indian nationals moving for Bishnoi, who was acting astatine the guidance of officials successful Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

Arrested successful 2024 successful Alberta and Ontario, the accused gunmen, their alleged getaway driver and a 4th fishy are awaiting proceedings successful B.C. Neither Bishnoi nor his Canadian lieutenant Goldy Brar person been charged.

As precocious arsenic October 2024, nationalist information advisor Nathalie Drouin said “senior levels” of the Indian authorities worked pinch the Bishnoi pack to costs unit successful Canada.

Testifying astatine a committee hearing, she said Indian diplomats and proxy agents collected accusation connected Canadians and passed it connected to officials successful New Delhi.

“This accusation is shared pinch elder levels of the Indian government, who past nonstop the committee of superior criminal activities against Indo-Canadians done the kinetic usage of Lawrence Bishnoi’s organized crime network,” she told the nationalist information committee.

“Bishnoi is presently successful jailhouse successful India, and he is capable to bid these actions done his gang, which has extended criminal networks successful India and internationally.

“Serious crimes committed successful Canada see homicides, assassination plots, perpetrated extortions and different utmost violence.”

She besides accused the Indian authorities of spreading the “false communicative that Canada showed it nary grounds and that we were ignoring its concerns about Khalistani convulsive extremism.”

Despite India’s alleged links to the pack blamed for fueling the extortion problem, Prime Minister Mark Carney has been deepening nationalist information ties pinch New Delhi.

On Feb. 6 and 7, India’s nationalist information advisor, Ajit Doval, met successful Ottawa and pinch Drouin and Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree.

The sojourn came arsenic Carney is pushing to summation Canadian exports to India amid a waste and acquisition warfare initiated by the tariff-obsessed White House of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Following Doval’s visit, the Privy Council Office said Canada and India had agreed to speech information and rule enforcement liaison officers.

Doing truthful will thief streamline bilateral communications and alteration timely accusation sharing connected issues of communal interest to Canada and India, the PCO said.

The PCO did not reply questions from BERITAJA about whether India had acknowledged its domiciled successful Nijjar’s execution aliases committed to refraining from further attacks.

Canadian Sikh organizations were outraged Doval was moreover allowed to participate Canada.

“The caller beingness of Ajit Doval successful Canada is simply a grotesque betrayal,” said Moninder Singh, who was among much than a twelve Sikh activists warned by the RCMP that their lives were successful danger.

“Doval, the man responsible for decades of quality authorities atrocities successful Punjab, is the superior designer of this transnational repression and convulsive run successful Canada,” said Singh, who is the spokesperson for the Sikh Federation Canada.

He said India’s strategy was to “use criminal proxies to extort and terrorize the Sikh diaspora, past connection ‘security co-operation’ arsenic a Trojan equine to further infiltrate our institutions.”

Anandasangaree defended his government’s push to fortify ties pinch India’s nationalist information agencies.

“It’s important that we person constructive speech about information and security,” the curate said erstwhile asked about his gathering pinch Doval.

The World Sikh Organization of Canada said it was disappointed the authorities had hosted Doval.

“Mr. Doval is wide regarded arsenic the designer of India’s overseas espionage and transnational repression operations,” the statement said.

The government’s charismatic read-out of the meeting, however, made nary reference to India’s engagement successful its attacks connected Canadians, the WSO said.

“We person been clear that immoderate alleged re-engagement pinch India must beryllium grounded successful accountability,” spokesperson Balpreet Singh said.

“Instead, Mr. Doval’s sojourn to Canada erstwhile again signals that the authorities is prepared to disregard ongoing criminal activity, extortion, and intimidation successful Canada that person roots successful India and links to the Government of India.

“This isn’t diplomacy, it is appeasement.”

India has besides been accused of trying to termination different Canadian, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a New York-based pro-Khalistan activist.

Authorities judge the land were portion of the Modi government’s effort to assassinate salient members of the Khalistan activity successful the West.

At the clip of the plots, some Nijjar and Pannun were organizing a symbolic referendum to gauge support for Khalistan. Neither faced immoderate charges successful Canada aliases the U.S.

On Friday, Nikhil Gupta pleaded guilty successful the U.S. to his domiciled successful the conspiracy to termination Pannun. The FBI alleges an Indian intelligence charismatic group the grounded crippled into motion.

Stewart.Bell@globalnews.ca