Punjabis targeted: Calls grow for terrorism charges in Canada extortion cases

Lawyers in British Columbia, Canada, have called for extortion to be declared a terrorism offence under the Criminal Code, as unabated extortion calls have now engulfed the legal community, marking a dangerous new phase in the province's ongoing public safety crisis.

Among others, Punjabis mainly have been both the targets and alleged perpetrators of the extortion incidents

On November 14, the Law Society of British Columbia issued an urgent notice to its members, warning of recent incidents in which lawyers have been threatened with demands for substantial sums of money and explicit threats to physical safety.

Conservative MLA Steve Kooner, the Opposition attorney general critic and a practicing lawyer himself, described this on X as a disturbing escalation of the extortion wave, stating, “We’ve heard about this extortion crisis targeting business owners, homeowners, and bystanders. Now it’s targeting legal professionals, it’s targeting the lawyers who are officers of the court. In a press release and video statement.”

Kooner demanded that the federal government elevate extortion to a terrorism offence, arguing that threats against those who uphold the justice system represent an attack on the system as a whole, highlighting an urgent need for a stronger response.

The Law Society urged affected lawyers to contact police immediately, noting that investigations could involve the newly formed Extortion Task Force, but emphasised privacy concerns prevented disclosing the locations of targeted individuals.

Canadian media reports said the British Columbia Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) spokesperson Vanessa Munn confirmed awareness of the threats but could not verify active investigations involving lawyers as victims, reiterating, “We encourage anyone who is receiving extortion threats not to pay and to immediately report to their local police”.

British Columbia's extortion crisis, which surfaced mainly in late 2023, exploded in 2025, with over 100 incidents reported province-wide by November, primarily in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.

Criminals, often using encrypted social media apps like Instagram, send threats demanding protection money in cryptocurrency, escalating to arson, vandalism, and drive-by shootings when victims refuse. Media reports reveal the violence has created a climate of fear, particularly among immigrant entrepreneurs, with Surrey RCMP logging 95 extortion reports and 45 related shootings as of November 2025. In Abbotsford, 40 cases were reported by September 23, including five shootings that month, three tied to extortion.

The wave began with a July 29, 2023, shooting at the Vancouver-area home of Punjabi singer AP Dhillon, linked to extortion threats from India's Bishnoi gang, which retaliated against his music mocking their leader.

Similar incidents emerged in the Greater Toronto Area, targeting South Asian businesses with threats and property damage.

On June 7, Surrey temple president Satish Kumar's home was shot at for the third time in weeks, following attacks on his businesses; he publicly demanded action at community meetings. August saw a second shooting at Kap's Cafe in Surrey, owned by comedian Kapil Sharma, on August 7, after an initial attack.

Abbotsford businessman Arshdeep Singh Arora reported a gasoline-fuelled arson attempt on August 23, followed by a death threat publicised on social media: “See what we did to you? Now you have three days ... we will kill you.”

The crisis disproportionately impacts British Columbia's Punjabi (South Asian) diaspora, with victims often being Punjabi-origin business owners in sectors like real estate, trucking, and hospitality.

Perpetrators are frequently of Punjabi origin as well, linked to transnational networks from Punjab and Haryana, including the Bishnoi gang—designated a terrorist group in 2025 - and others spreading extortion rackets to North America.

Federal RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme revealed on October 21 evidence of Indian government-linked operatives orchestrating violence, including extortion, on Canadian soil. Victims like Satish Kumar and Arshdeep Singh Arora, both prominent in Surrey's Punjabi community, have mobilised public meetings and awareness campaigns in Punjabi media to combat the fear.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) deported three foreign nationals on November 7—the first under the task force—tied to this network targeting Punjabi businesses, with officials noting the dual Punjabi ties among victims and suspects. CBSA's Nina Patel stated, “We will pursue the swift removal of individuals who have abused our immigration system and who compromise the safety of our communities.”

A June 26 BC Crime Stoppers campaign, funded by $100,000 from the federal Gun and Gang Violence Action Fund, ran ads in English and Punjabi on radio, social media, and TV to encourage anonymous reporting.

The government has set up BC Extortion Task Force, launched on September 17, 2025, as a 40-member unit led by B.C. RCMP with municipal partners (Surrey Police Service, Abbotsford Police, Delta Police, Metro Vancouver Transit Police), the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU-BC), and CBSA.

Public Safety Minister Nina Krieger announced it would coordinate province-wide probes into organized crime, supported by $100 million annually in provincial anti-gang funding and $11 million federally for 2025-26.