British Columbia Premier urges terrorist label for Lawrence Bishnoi Gang

British Columbia Premier David Eby has asked the Canadian government to take action against the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, saying he wants the India-based gang declared a terrorist organisation in Canada. Eby stated that the initiative is intended to provide law enforcement with stronger tools to tackle the gang's expanding extortion operations.The premier said the Lawrence Bishnoi gang had been linked to extortions and other crimes against South Asian community members in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario, according to The Canadian Press.advertisementHe said on Tuesday that he plans to send a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, requesting that the gang be officially designated as a terrorist organisation to enable police to be able to use the necessary tools to investigate.
He sought action against the gang following a public safety forum which was held over the weekend in Surrey to address crimes being faced by South Asian businesses."This is a serious step. It gives police significant investigative tools. We don't make this recommendation lightly, but this activity strikes at public confidence in the justice system, in our democracy and in the safety of the community, and it erodes public confidence in the rule of law," CTV News quoted Eby as saying.Eby noted that these extortion threats – which have been accompanied by shootings and arsons in some cases – are occurring in cities across the country, including Edmonton and Brampton, CTV News reported.advertisementThe Lawrence Bishnoi gang, named after its jailed gangster in India, has been linked to a series of high-profile criminal cases, including extortion threats to Indian celebrities and businessmen, with alleged overseas operatives playing a key role, according to a report in PTI.Punjab-based gangster Bishnoi is presently incarcerated at Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad.EXISTING LAWS NOT ENOUGH TO DEAL WITH LAWRENCE BISHNOI GANG: EBYEby pointed out that while an RCMP task force is already active in addressing the extortion threats, conventional policing methods might not be adequate to tackle the issue effectively."They need additional tools to respond to the fact that this is transnational organised crime. This is more in the nature of terrorism than it is traditional crime," he said.Eby mentioned that the federal government had previously implemented comparable measures against a Mexican drug cartel."We don't make this recommendation lightly, but this activity strikes at public confidence in the justice system, in our democracy," he added.In December 2023, police in Abbotsford, British Columbia, said they were investigating extortions targeting affluent members of the South Asian community and the crimes had ties to the Bishnoi gang, The Canadian Press reported.Trending Reel

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