An Indian criminal syndicate sent a threatening letter to Canadian authorities, claiming to command 1,000 operatives for extortion operations targeting the South Asian diaspora, according to testimony from an Edmonton police officer.
The communication was sent last August to an Abbotsford police station in British Columbia. It detailed a structured protection racket aimed at affluent business owners.
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Edmonton Police Service Constable Kevin St. Louis, a member of the collaborative Project Al-Extortion task force, provided details about the August 13, 2025 document during an Immigration and Refugee Board hearing on Thursday.
"Police actually received a letter addressed from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang that was sent to a police station," St. Louis said in his official testimony.
The correspondence openly outlined the group's hierarchy and manpower. It asserted that all local businesses needed to comply with their financial demands.
The syndicate demands large sums of money and uses violent drive-by shootings or property damage against victims who refuse to pay.
The Abbotsford Police Department confirmed receipt of the letter. They forwarded the intelligence to provincial and federal law enforcement partners combating the region's extortion spike.
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Sgt.
Paul Walker of the Abbotsford Police Department said, "Police actually received a letter addressed from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang that was sent to a police station."
The department's specialized Operation Community Shield task force continues to investigate the exact origins of the written threat.
The Canada Border Services Agency launched hundreds of investigations by early 2026.
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This led to multiple deportations and removal orders for lower-level gang operatives, many of whom are Indian nationals on student permits or temporary visas.
