Bishnoi Gang Claimed It Would Rule Canada as Police Probe Reveals Extortion Network

A letter allegedly sent by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang to Canadian police has provided a disturbing glimpse into the confidence and reach claimed by a criminal organization accused of involvement in extortion, shootings, arson and vehicle related fraud across several provinces.

The letter, sent to the Abbotsford Police Department in August 2025 and signed in the name of the Lawrence gang from India, claimed the organization had more than 5,000 members operating in Canada and access to more firearms than police.

The document was later obtained through an access to information request involving exhibits presented at an Immigration and Refugee Board hearing. A police officer had previously referred to the existence of the letter during testimony, but its full contents had not been publicly disclosed.

The letter reportedly threatened Canadian authorities and businesses while declaring that the gang intended to expand its influence across the country.

It claimed that gang members could be recruited to carry out shootings for as little as $1,000 and warned that Canadian authorities would be unable to stop the organization.

The document also threatened business owners, saying they would eventually be forced to pay protection money regardless of their ethnic or racial background.

The contents form part of a much larger collection of investigative material gathered by Canadian authorities during a year long effort to understand and disrupt criminal networks allegedly connected to the Bishnoi organization.

Police and immigration authorities have been examining a network involving young Indian nationals accused of carrying out or supporting criminal activities at the direction of senior figures associated with the gang.

Investigative documents describe suspected activity stretching across Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario, including shootings, arson, extortion and fraudulent vehicle schemes.

A Canada Border Services Agency tactical assessment reportedly traces the development of Bishnoi linked operations in Canada between 2023 and the end of 2025.

Lawrence Bishnoi has been imprisoned in India since 2015, but authorities have alleged that he has continued to exercise influence over an international criminal network from behind bars.

Canadian investigations have identified Goldy Brar as a major figure associated with the organization. Brar arrived in Canada in 2017 after obtaining a student permit to attend Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops. His refugee claim was later considered abandoned, and his present whereabouts remain unknown.

Investigative records indicate that relations between Brar and Bishnoi changed during 2025, with the two reportedly becoming rivals.

Canadian authorities have also identified Goldy Dhillon as another individual believed to have played a role in recruiting people to carry out criminal activities.

According to investigative material, Dhillon was allegedly involved in recruiting foot soldiers for targeted attacks and extortion operations in both India and Canada.

One of the most detailed investigations described in the released documents was conducted by the Edmonton Police Service under the name Project Garter.

The investigation examined more than a dozen files involving extortion victims and suspected criminal activity. Investigators spent approximately seven months examining incidents beginning in May 2025.

The threatening letter sent to Abbotsford police was incorporated into the investigative report after being delivered in August of that year.

The investigation also documented threats against business owners and individuals who allegedly refused to meet financial demands.

In one case, investigators recorded a message in which a caller claimed to represent the Lawrence Bishnoi organization and threatened further violence against a victim and the victim’s family.

Police investigations extended across several cities, with ballistics evidence being examined in connection with shootings in Edmonton, Calgary and Surrey.

Investigators also monitored social media accounts, sought judicial authorization to track vehicles and phones, and examined digital information recovered from vehicles.

One investigation focused on a Ford Mustang that was reportedly stolen and later used in drive by shootings. Police examined the vehicle’s digital systems and social media connections in an effort to determine whether the reported theft was connected to other suspects.

The documents also describe several victims who allegedly received demands for large sums of money.

In one case, the owner of a major business was reportedly targeted for millions of dollars. Investigators linked the threats to an individual identified as Goldy Dhillon.

A related business belonging to a family member was reportedly destroyed by fire after similar demands were made.

Another important part of the investigation involved a firearm with a distinctive pink slide.

The weapon became significant after investigators discovered social media videos showing individuals handling and firing it.

Jashandeep Singh, a 25 year old who arrived in Canada as an international student in December 2022, was later found inadmissible to Canada through immigration proceedings.

Authorities connected him to the investigation through his relationship with Arshdeep Singh, whom Canadian officials described as a mid level figure associated with the Bishnoi network.

Arshdeep Singh was later deported from Canada after being found inadmissible on grounds related to organized criminality.

Investigators alleged that Jashandeep Singh helped conceal the distinctive firearm that was subsequently connected to shootings in Surrey and Edmonton.

Evidence presented during his immigration hearing included a video in which he appeared to point the weapon at a friend’s head.

Other evidence showed Arshdeep Singh handling the same firearm.

Investigators later discovered footage showing Arshdeep Singh firing the weapon into the air during a birthday celebration in August 2025.

Police attended the location after identifying the video on social media and recovered spent bullet casings from the area.

Ballistics testing subsequently linked one of those casings to a shooting at Kap’s Cafe in Surrey, according to the investigative material.

That discovery triggered further police activity, including arrests, searches and the seizure of additional weapons.

Investigators also examined the contents of Arshdeep Singh’s phone and found communications that they alleged were connected to drug trafficking, shootings and other criminal activity.

The material included references to heroin, opioids and cocaine. Investigators also alleged that Singh discussed obtaining firearms and directed an associate to collect weapons.

Police documents further linked him to extortion investigations in Ontario. In one case, he was allegedly recorded directing others to use Molotov cocktails against a building.

The examination of his phone also uncovered information about numerous vehicles later reported stolen.

Investigators alleged that the information pointed to a vehicle fraud operation in which thieves and vehicle owners worked together to manipulate identification information and submit fraudulent insurance claims.

Despite the extensive allegations described in the documents, the immigration cases are separate from criminal convictions.

Arshdeep Singh was not convicted of a criminal offence in Canada in connection with the allegations described in the report. Immigration law applies a different standard when determining whether a person is admissible to Canada than the criminal justice system applies when determining guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Singh did not challenge his deportation order. During his immigration proceedings, however, he denied involvement in extortion, arson and fraud.

The released documents also contain information from a confidential source who provided investigators with an assessment of how the extortion crisis was developing in Canada.

Taken together, the material portrays a network that investigators believe relied on young recruits, social media communication, intimidation and violence to pressure victims into paying money.

The investigation demonstrates the difficulty Canadian authorities face in dealing with criminal organizations that operate through loosely connected cells rather than a conventional centralized structure.

The alleged Bishnoi network has increasingly become the subject of attention from police, immigration authorities and international law enforcement agencies as investigators attempt to identify the individuals directing operations, the people carrying out attacks and the financial networks supporting them.

The letter addressed to Canadian police stands out because of the confidence with which its authors claimed the organization had established itself in Canada.

Its threats against authorities and businesses, combined with the investigative evidence gathered across several provinces, have become part of a broader effort by Canadian agencies to determine the scale of the organization and prevent further violence.

While the claims made in the letter represent the gang’s own assertions rather than independently verified figures, the investigative files show that Canadian authorities have been dealing with multiple criminal cases alleged to have links to individuals associated with the Bishnoi organization.

Courtesy: cbc