British Columbia's Premier, David Eby, has called on the Canadian government under Mark Carney to take action against the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. He appealed for the gang to be declared a terrorist organization in Canada, to aid investigative agencies in tackling the gang's growing extortion and criminal activities.
On Tuesday, Eby announced plans to send a letter to Canada's Prime Minister, Mark Carney, requesting the gang's official designation as a terrorist organization. This move follows a public safety forum held over the weekend in Surrey, where crimes targeting South Asian businesses were discussed.
'A Serious Step'
CTV News quoted Eby saying, 'This is a serious step. It provides crucial investigative help to the police. We do not make this recommendation lightly, but such activities undermine confidence in our justice system, democracy, and community safety, and erode public faith in the rule of law.'
Eby noted that extortion threats, coupled with incidents of shootings and arson, have surfaced not just in Columbia but also in cities across the country, including Edmonton and Brampton.
Eby stated that while the RCMP task force is already actively addressing extortion threats, traditional policing methods may not be sufficient to effectively tackle this issue.
According to the Canadian Press, the Prime Minister remarked that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang is linked to extortion and other crimes against members of the South Asian community in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario.
Lawrence Bishnoi in Indian Jail
The Lawrence Bishnoi gang is named after gang leader Lawrence Bishnoi, who is imprisoned in India and linked to several high-profile criminal cases. The gang has been accused of threatening Indian celebrities and businessmen, with alleged significant involvement by foreign operatives. Punjab-based gangster Bishnoi is currently incarcerated at Ahmedabad's Sabarmati Central Jail.
