Immigration – Canada Intelligence Report Alleges Bishnoi Gang Misused Visa Pathways
Immigration –Canadian authorities have raised fresh concerns over the alleged misuse of temporary immigration programmes after a classified intelligence assessment linked the Lawrence Bishnoi gang to organised criminal activities across the country.
Canadian border officials have concluded in a classified intelligence report that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang allegedly used temporary immigration channels, including student visas and work permits, to establish and expand its criminal network in Canada. According to findings cited by Global News, investigators believe the group became involved in extortion, targeted shootings, contract killings and other forms of organised crime while recruiting individuals who had legally entered the country through temporary immigration programmes.
Classified Assessment Highlights Organised Crime Concerns
The intelligence document, titled The Bishnoi Gang: An Emerging Threat in Canada, reportedly states that investigations have increasingly identified Indian nationals holding study permits and work permits among individuals linked to organised criminal activities. The findings have raised operational concerns for the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), particularly in relation to immigration screening and enforcement.
The report was circulated among Canadian immigration officers in December 2025 to help identify potential threats affecting South Asian communities living in Canada.
Network Expanded Beyond Initial Targets
According to the report, the gang initially focused on individuals associated with the Khalistan movement and selected business owners. However, investigators say the group’s activities later expanded to target a wider section of the Indian-origin community through extortion and intimidation.
Authorities believe young recruits arriving in Canada on study permits were allegedly drawn into criminal operations that included collecting extortion money, carrying out violent attacks and supporting organised crime networks.
Links to High-Profile Cases
The intelligence assessment also refers to developments following the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023. It notes that the Bishnoi gang publicly claimed responsibility for the killing of Sukhdul Singh Gill, also known as Sukha Duneke, who was associated with the rival Bambiha gang.
The report says the group’s activities later spread across several provinces, including British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario, where investigators recorded a broader pattern of extortion-related offences.
Social Media Used to Spread Fear
Investigators claim the gang frequently used social media after violent incidents by posting videos that accepted responsibility for attacks. Officials believe these posts were intended to create fear among potential victims and pressure them into paying extortion demands.
Many of the threats, according to the report, were allegedly issued in the name of Satinderjeet Singh, also known as Goldy Brar. The intelligence document states that Brar entered Canada in 2017 on a student visa after indicating plans to study at Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia.
Government records reportedly do not clearly confirm whether he attended the institution. Brar later sought refugee protection in 2019 but failed to appear for his scheduled hearing in June 2022. Canadian authorities subsequently closed his asylum application after declaring it abandoned.
Crime Statistics Draw Official Attention
The report states that although overall extortion cases in Canada declined by around 10 percent during 2024, the number of Indian nationals charged in extortion-related cases increased by 47 percent.
It further claims that between 2019 and 2023, approximately 4,000 Indian citizens who entered Canada on study permits faced nearly 17,929 criminal charges, including thousands classified as serious or linked to organised crime. The assessment also notes that more than 13,000 criminal charges involving Indian students were recorded during 2024, while acknowledging that those charged represented only a small proportion of the total Indian student population in Canada.
Canada Tightens Response
In September last year, Canadian authorities designated the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity, giving law enforcement agencies expanded authority to freeze assets, seize property and pursue related prosecutions.
The report also comes as Canada continues reviewing its international student programme. According to CBSA figures cited in the assessment, Indian nationals formed the largest group among deportations. During the first six months of 2026, 3,323 Indian citizens, most of them on student visas, were removed from Canada, while thousands of additional removal cases remained under process.