Lawrence Bishnoi Gang Recruited Indian Students In Canada For Crimes: Report

A classified intelligence report prepared by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has alleged that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang exploited Canada's student visa and work permit system to build a criminal network by recruiting Indian nationals for organised crime. According to the report, titled The Bishnoi Gang: An Emerging Threat in Canada, the gang allegedly used some Indian students and temporary workers in activities including extortion, shootings and other violent offences. The document, prepared in December 2025 as a tactical guide for Canadian border and immigration officials, was later made public during court proceedings and its findings were reported by Global News.

The report claims the gang initially targeted Khalistan supporters and Punjabi businessmen before expanding its extortion network to other members of the Indian-origin community by 2025. It stated that while overall extortion cases in Canada declined by around 10 per cent in 2024, cases involving Indian citizens increased by 47 per cent. The report also noted that crimes involving Indian study permit holders rose significantly between 2016 and 2024, although it acknowledged that the 2,418 Indian students charged in 2024 represented only about one per cent of the nearly 1.88 lakh Indian students residing in Canada during that period.

According to the CBSA document, investigators identified several individuals who allegedly became associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang after arriving in Canada on student visas. Among them was Abhjeet Kingra, who entered Canada in 2018 and was later convicted for his role in a shooting at the residence of Punjabi singer AP Dhillon in British Columbia in September 2024. The report alleged that Kingra was recruited after facing financial difficulties and was promised payment for carrying out the attack. It also mentioned Jashandeep Singh and Arshdeep Singh, alleging they became linked to the gang after meeting while studying in Edmonton.

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The report further identified Goldy Brar, considered one of Lawrence Bishnoi's closest associates, as the alleged architect of the gang's operations in Canada. It stated that Brar arrived in Canada on a student visa in 2017, later applied for refugee status and subsequently failed to appear for his asylum hearing in 2022, resulting in the abandonment of his claim. According to the report, Brar focused on expanding the gang's network across Canada and North America, allegedly recruiting Indian nationals living in cities such as Edmonton and Brampton who were on study or work permits.

The CBSA report described extortion as the gang's primary criminal activity in Canada, alleging that South Asian business owners were threatened through WhatsApp calls and messages demanding large sums of money. It claimed businesses that refused to pay were allegedly targeted in shootings or acts of vandalism, with attackers sometimes posting videos on social media claiming responsibility in the gang's name to intimidate others. The report noted that while many threats were made in the name of Goldy Brar, investigators were not able to establish in every case that he was directly responsible, and acknowledged that his name may have been used by others to amplify the credibility of the threats.

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