How Lawrence Bishnoi grew his extortion gang in Canada

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U.S. law enforcement and the RCMP allege gang members also targeted extortion victims’ family members, often focusing on ones in India.

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Police allege in some cases, they would use corrupt law enforcement officials in India to help in extortion schemes.

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“These groups are known to prey on the less fortunate to carry out the criminal activities,” said RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme on July 7 in Los Angeles during a press conference about Operation Hard Ball.

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Duheme called the leaders of the three gangs “some of the most cruel and wide-reaching criminals, whose crimes range from kidnapping to extortion to murder to shootings to arson to drug trafficking and many others.”

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He added law enforcement is “putting a stop to a significant flow of drugs and farms into Canada.”

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Huish described the terror the Bishnoi gang has inflicted on Canadians in the Sikh community.

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“They’re outside your house, they’re in your neighbourhood, they know who you are, they’re putting cars in flames, they’re shooting up houses,” he said.

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On July 7, the FBI announced it was charging 37 individuals in three indictments for India-based organized crime rings, including Bishnoi’s.

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At least 24 people were arrested in Canada, the U.S. and Europe.

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One indictment accuses Bishnoi of ordering the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, B.C., in 2023.

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It also accuses Bishnoi’s longtime associate Satinderjeet Singh, known as Goldy Brar, with the FBI calling him the gang’s North American Leader.

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He was among three people arrested in the Vancouver area.

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“The gang used this assassination and other high-profile acts of violence to terrorize Sikh and other Indian communities, and they use acts of violence to legitimize and bolster widespread extortion schemes,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, Bilal Essayli, during the July 7 press conference.

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In 2024, then Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian officials stationed in Canada of using the international crime ring to carry out attacks in Canada, including Nijjar’s murder.

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The move hurt Canada’s relationship with the other nation.

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This week, the RCMP told CBC News there was no evidence Indian officials were involved in the alleged crimes from this announcement.

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But Huish says there should be questions about how Bishnoi has allegedly been able to run an international crime organization with thousands of members while locked up in a high-security prison in India.

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“How in the world is a guy in maximum security prison in charge and operating this syndicate?” he said.

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“It’s a cartel with such efficiency that needs to be questioned. What are Indian authorities doing about this, and will Indian authorities respect the charges that are being put forward by the FBI?”

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But he added “in terms of pinning it on a politician, I think everyone’s taking the silver step to not jump into that situation.”

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In late 2025, the RCMP linked the Bishnoi gang to violent extortions in Metro Vancouver and Brampton, Ont.

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As of June 2026, the Canada Border Services Agency has opened almost 500 immigration investigations, issued 139 removal orders and enforced at least 80 deportations, all linked to individuals connected to the gang.