Based on coverage from News18, CBC, Global News, and The Tribune.
A letter allegedly from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang landed at an Abbotsford, B.C. police station last summer, claiming the group had “upwards of 1,000” people ready to carry out shootings tied to extortion, according to testimony at a Canadian immigration hearing.
The details came out through an Edmonton Police Service investigator speaking under oath at a deportation (admissibility) hearing involving Jashandeep Singh, an Indian national the federal immigration minister wants removed from Canada for alleged organized criminality. Abbotsford Police Department confirms it received the letter, but won’t say much else while the matter is investigated.
Abbotsford BC letter claimed 1,000 shooters
Global News and CBC both report that Const. Kevin St. Louis told the Immigration and Refugee Board the letter was received Aug. 13, 2025, and described the alleged criminal organization’s structure and scale.
St. Louis testified that the letter also said businesses need to pay their “tax,” which investigators interpret as extortion payments. Abbotsford police spokesperson Sgt. Paul Walker confirmed the letter was shared with law enforcement partners dealing with the extortion problem across Canada, and that Abbotsford’s extortion task force, Operation Community Shield, looked into its origin and contents.
One point of dispute comes from outside Canada: an Indian outlet cites India’s National Investigation Agency as saying Bishnoi’s gang has about 700 members in total, calling the “1,000 in Canada” claim far-fetched. Canadian reporting does not confirm the number, and St. Louis presented it as a claim made in the letter, not as a verified headcount.
Edmonton immigration hearing targets alleged extortion network
The testimony was part of an admissibility hearing for Jashandeep Singh, who police have linked to a broader extortion investigation spanning Alberta, B.C., and Ontario. CBC describes the hearing as virtual, with Singh watching remotely. St. Louis acknowledged under cross-examination there is no direct evidence Singh carried out specific extortions or shootings, and Singh has not been criminally charged to date.
St. Louis told the board that laying criminal charges can trigger disclosure obligations that might jeopardize wider investigations. That’s one reason, the reporting suggests, authorities are leaning heavily on immigration tools alongside criminal probes.
CBC also explains the legal context: the standard for immigration inadmissibility is “reasonable grounds to believe,” which is lower than what’s needed to win a civil case, and much lower than “beyond a reasonable doubt” in criminal court. Singh is expected to testify on his own behalf.
WhatsApp threats and named leaders
St. Louis described extortion threats commonly arriving through WhatsApp calls and messages, often name-dropping Lawrence Bishnoi or Goldy Brar. He told the hearing three names have emerged repeatedly in communications: Bishnoi, Brar, and someone identified as Jora Sidhu.
According to St. Louis, the RCMP’s national co-ordination centre used voice-matching to identify Sidhu as the person making many of the WhatsApp calls, and police believe Sidhu was outside Canada while doing so.
CBC notes this is the first time Jora Sidhu’s name has surfaced in official proceedings connected to Canadian extortion cases. It also reports Indian media have used the same name for a Bishnoi associate allegedly killed in Dubai in December, though those details are separate from what the Canadian hearing was focused on.
Shootings, shifting tactics, and moving guns across provinces
Investigators told the board the violence tends to follow a grim pattern: demands for money and then shootings if victims refuse, or sometimes shootings first and then demands. St. Louis testified police initially believed the main perpetrators were Bishnoi gang members, but later came to believe the network fractured, leading to multiple groups committing similar crimes.
After an alleged falling out between Bishnoi and Brar, St. Louis said tactics shifted, with some shootings happening without prior extortion threats, which investigators took as a sign of disruption and fragmentation. He also described “copycat” groups that exploit fear by using the Bishnoi name, though they may not carry out shootings.
A major operational headache: firearms, suspects, and vehicles moving quickly between provinces. St. Louis testified one gun linked to extortion shootings showed up in two provinces within 24 hours. Police say that pace makes guns extremely hard to trace and seize.
Deportations become a key Canadian enforcement tool
Several reports point to deportation proceedings becoming one of Canada’s main levers when suspects are non-citizens, including temporary foreign workers and international students. St. Louis testified that, in his investigation, every person identified was on a student visa or a temporary foreign worker permit and relatively new to Canada.
One report cites Canada Border Services Agency figures as of May 7: 446 investigations opened into extortion suspects, 118 removal orders issued, and 55 deportations carried out. The same figures break down investigations by region: 188 in the Toronto region, 132 in B.C., and 126 in the Prairies.
The broader backdrop also hangs over all of this: Canadian agencies have investigated allegations tied to the 2023 killing of B.C. Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar and other cases involving pro-Khalistan activists. India denies involvement in violence abroad and calls allegations baseless and politically motivated, while also urging stronger action against extremist elements operating overseas.
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