Canada has officially designated the Bishnoi gang, a notorious Indian criminal syndicate, as a terrorist entity. The move grants Canadian law enforcement agencies enhanced powers to combat the gang’s activities, which include murder, extortion, and arson targeting diaspora communities.
Public Safety Canada described the gang as a transnational criminal organisation active in areas with significant Indian diaspora populations. The department stated that the gang “generates terror through extortion and intimidation,” creating a climate of insecurity among targeted communities.
The designation prohibits Canadians from providing financial or material support to the gang and allows for asset freezes, property seizures, and criminal charges under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. The gang, allegedly led by Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar, originated in the Indian states of Punjab and Haryana before spreading to North America.
Bishnoi, considered the group’s founder, has been imprisoned in India since 2014. Brar, his key lieutenant, fled India on a study permit in 2017. Last year, Canadian police accused Indian agents of using the gang to target Khalistan supporters, a claim India rejected.
The decision followed political pressure from opposition parties and provincial premiers, including British Columbia’s David Eby, who cited “state-sponsored terror on our soil.” Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre welcomed the move, noting the gang’s role in extortion cases in Surrey, Brampton, and Calgary. The World Sikh Organization of Canada also praised the designation as “an important first step.”
The Bishnoi gang is accused of high-profile killings, including Punjabi rapper Sidhu Moose Wala and Mumbai politician Baba Siddique, as well as sending death threats to Bollywood star Salman Khan. India’s National Investigation Agency has called it a major syndicate with over 700 members involved in drug trafficking, extortion, and weapons smuggling.
