Toronto

Canadian police have revealed that a letter allegedly linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang was sent to a police station in 2025, claiming the group had more than 1,000 people ready to carry out shootings in Canada as part of an extortion network targeting the South Asian community.

According to a report by Global News, the letter was delivered to a police station in Abbotsford on August 13, 2025. Details about the communication emerged during a deportation hearing before Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Board.

Edmonton Police Service Constable Kevin St Louis, who testified during the hearing, said the letter described the gang’s alleged criminal operations and claimed it had a large network capable of carrying out shootings linked to extortion activities.

According to the testimony, the letter also referred to businesses needing to “pay tax”, which investigators believe was a reference to extortion demands aimed at members of the South Asian diaspora.

The Abbotsford Police Department confirmed receiving the letter and said its contents were shared with law enforcement agencies working on extortion-related crimes across Canada. Police also launched an investigation into the source of the letter and the claims made in it.

The hearing involved an individual suspected of ties to an Edmonton-based extortion gang allegedly connected to violent incidents in several Canadian provinces.

During the proceedings, St Louis described the Bishnoi gang as a transnational criminal network accused of fuelling extortion and gun violence targeting South Asian business owners and residents in Canada. He said the group often recruits young Indian nationals already living in Canada to carry out shootings in exchange for relatively small payments.

The officer further testified that extortion threats are commonly made through WhatsApp calls and messages, frequently invoking the names of Lawrence Bishnoi or his former associate Goldy Brar.

St Louis also identified another alleged figure in the network, Jora Sidhu, claiming he handled communications related to extortion demands while operating from outside Canada.

According to the testimony, provinces with large Indo-Canadian Sikh populations — including British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario — have seen the highest number of such incidents.

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Police also said some copycat groups have emerged, using the Bishnoi gang’s name to intimidate victims, though many of those groups are not believed to be directly involved in shootings.