Canada deports 3 in connection with extortion ring targeting Punjabi-origin business owners

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has deported three foreign nationals following an investigation linking them to an ongoing extortion network targeting Punjabi-origin business owners in British Columbia.

The deportations, announced on November 7, are the first carried out under the BC Extortion Task Force, a joint operation involving the CBSA, RCMP and local police agencies.

The 40-member task force was established earlier this year to coordinate intelligence and enforcement efforts against transnational organized crime groups operating in the province.

According to CBSA officials, 78 additional foreign nationals are currently under immigration investigation for suspected inadmissibility to Canada, including potential links to criminal activity connected to the extortion cases.

The extortion crisis across B.C. escalated sharply in early 2025. Perpetrators have been using social media platforms to demand cryptocurrency payments from business owners and have allegedly turned to violence and arson when their demands were refused. Several small businesses in Surrey, the Lower Mainland, and the Fraser Valley—including the repeatedly targeted Kap’s Café in Surrey—have been among the victims.

While authorities have not publicly disclosed the identities, nationalities, or destinations of the deported individuals, law enforcement sources indicate that both many of the victims and perpetrators involved in the extortion network have been of Punjabi origin. The CBSA cited operational security concerns and privacy provisions under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act as reasons for withholding further information.

Officials say the removals represent a significant step in ongoing efforts to dismantle organised networks behind the recent surge of violence and intimidation targeting members of B.C.’s Punjabi business community.