Journalism of Courage
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has deported three people from the country as part of its work with British Columbia’s new provincial extortion task force, which is probing a surge in shootings and threats targeting South Asian business owners across the province.
In a statement on Friday, the CBSA said it is also reviewing the status of another 78 foreign nationals who may be inadmissible to Canada due to suspected links to organised crime and ongoing extortion activity. The agency said these investigations form part of its efforts to “protect the integrity of Canada’s borders and communities,” CBC News reported.
The BC Extortion Task Force was established earlier this year to coordinate efforts between multiple law enforcement agencies, including the CBSA, the RCMP, and municipal police departments. The 40-member unit is focused on dismantling organised criminal networks behind a wave of extortion attempts and retaliatory shootings that have unsettled several communities in the province.
Authorities say the violence has disproportionately targeted members of the South Asian business community, who have reported threats demanding money and, in some cases, have been victims of drive-by shootings and arson attacks. Officials believe some of the incidents are linked to transnational criminal organisations operating both in Canada and abroad.
BC Public Safety Minister Nina Krieger praised the CBSA’s role, calling it “an essential part” of the task force’s work to restore safety and confidence in our communities. She warned that anyone involved in violent extortion schemes would face serious consequences.
“Those who carry out violent extortion that terrorises communities will be arrested and charged, and, if they are not Canadian citizens, can be removed from the country,” Krieger said in a statement cited by CBC. Nina Patel, CBSA’s regional director general for the Pacific region, said the agency’s ongoing investigations underscore the crucial role its teams play in disrupting transnational organised crime.
Law enforcement sources said, according to CBC, that several arrests and a few convictions have already been made in connection with the extortion cases. Some suspects are believed to have ties to the India-based Lawrence Bishnoi gang, which the federal government recently designated as a terrorist organisation.
Authorities say operations remain ongoing, with the extortion task force continuing to identify individuals and networks behind the coordinated campaign of threats and violence in British Columbia.
