3 min readChandigarhUpdated: May 29, 2026 09:07 AM IST
The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has sent a provocative letter to authorities in Canada claiming it commands up to 1,000 operatives willing to carry out shootings as part of its extortion operations targeting the South Asian diaspora.
Testifying before the Immigration and Refugee Board on Thursday, an Edmonton police officer revealed the contents of the letter sent last August to a police station in Abbotsford, British Columbia.
In a bold challenge to law enforcement, the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, operating from its leader’s prison cell in India, dispatched the letter dated August 13, 2025. Edmonton Police Service Constable Kevin St. Louis, part of Project Al-Extortion, described it while testifying. “Police actually received a letter addressed from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang that was sent to a police station,” he said. The missive outlined the group’s structure, boasted of its manpower for violent operations, and asserted that every business needs to pay their tax, a reference to protection rackets.
The Abbotsford Police Department confirmed receipt of the communication. Sgt. Paul Walker told media that details were shared with federal and provincial partners tackling the extortion wave, with the department’s Operation Community Shield task force probing its origins.
The gang, headed by Lawrence Bishnoi, a gangster from Rajasthan with deep ties to Punjab and Haryana criminal networks, has been active in India for years. Bishnoi has been lodged in Indian prisons since 2015 but is accused of directing operations through smuggled communication devices. Canadian authorities formally designated the Bishnoi Gang as a terrorist entity in September 2025, citing its involvement in murders, shootings, arson, and systematic extortion.
The syndicate has been linked to a surge in incidents targeting affluent Indian-origin businessmen and professionals, particularly in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland (Surrey and Abbotsford), Alberta, Ontario, and Manitoba. Tactics typically involve threatening WhatsApp calls or messages demanding large sums, followed by drive-by shootings or property damage if payments are not made. Many low-level operatives are reportedly Indian nationals on temporary visas or student permits, enticed by modest payments and a sense of affiliation.
The letter emerged in the deportation
proceedings of an alleged member tied to an Edmonton-based extortion ring. Project Al-Extortion, a collaborative effort involving Edmonton Police, RCMP, and other agencies, has prioritised removals. By early 2026, the Canada Border Services Agency had launched hundreds of investigations, resulting in removal orders and deportations.
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In Canada, the group has claimed responsibility for targeted attacks on businessmen, amplifying fear in communities that have built thriving enterprises in sectors from trucking and real estate to agriculture.
Community responses have included calls for enhanced protection, with some families reportedly contemplating relocation. Police task forces in affected cities have issued alerts, and rewards for information have been announced in places like Surrey.
