Amritsar: The Lawrence Bishnoi crime syndicate has used Canada’s temporary student and work permit programmes to expand its operations within South Asian diaspora communities, according to a classified Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) tactical guide.The report, ‘The Bishnoi Gang: An Emerging Threat in Canada’, describes a pattern of foreign nationals arriving on temporary visas who are subsequently drawn into extortion, violence and organised crime.According to the report, published in Canadian media, the gang has demonstrated a “growing operational presence in Canada” and a “demonstrated use of Canada’s immigration programmes for criminal purposes.”The report says investigations have increasingly identified Indian foreign nationals on study permits and work permits as participants in organised criminal activities.The intelligence assessment links the gang’s Canadian expansion to a surge in extortion targeting businesses across British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario. Authorities say victims received threats demanding money, enforced through shootings and arson.The CBSA report identifies Goldy Brar, a close associate of jailed gangster Lawrence, as a key figure who established the group’s network after entering Canada on a student visa in 2017. Investigators allege the syndicate subsequently recruited other temporary permit holders to carry out criminal operations.The CBSA warns that the reliance on temporary permit holders presents a significant law enforcement challenge because it complicates immigration screening and border enforcement.“The sustained expansion of Bishnoi-linked extortions and the involvement of student permit and work permit holders raises significant concerns for CBSA operations,” says the report.The Canadian govt designated the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity in Sept 2025 under the Criminal Code, allowing authorities to target its financing, recruitment and travel.Canadian law enforcement has linked the group to extortion, shootings, arson and other acts of organised violence, while investigators continue probing its alleged transnational activities.CRIME SPREEReport says gang demonstrated a “growing operational presence in Canada” and a “demonstrated use of Canada’s immigration programmes for criminal purposes”Gang leader Goldy Brar built the Canadian network after entering the country on a student visa in 2017Recruits carried out extortions, shootings and arson targeting businesses in BC, Alberta and Ontario, says CBSA report enewed debate over security screening and enforcement without undermining the broader international student program.
