Chandigarh — Updated 01:07 PM Apr 24, 2026 IST
The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) has issued a special bulletin warning of a sustained campaign of coercion that often involves financially vulnerable, young male Indian nationals in Canada on study permits being used as foot soldiers by gangs to target South Asian diaspora communities.
FINTRAC says the violence — including extortion, shootings and arson — has escalated, with most incidents concentrated in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario. The agency identifies the Bishnoi and rival Bambiha gangs as primary drivers of this activity; the Canadian government designated the Bishnoi gang as a listed terrorist entity on September 29, 2025.
The bulletin cautions that copycat actors and smaller criminal groups are exploiting the reputation of major gangs to amplify their extortion demands. New analysis shows criminal networks increasingly recruit vulnerable international students to serve as money mules, enforcers or “foot soldiers.”
The report states: “Callers demanding money may identify themselves as part of the Lawrence Bishnoi network, a gang designated as a terrorist organization in Canada, with victims describing threats, shootings, and persistent attempts to collect large payments. These groups appear to recruit or rely on individuals already living in Canada to act as financial intermediaries (“money mules”), enforcers, or “foot soldiers”, typically financially vulnerable, young male Indian nationals in Canada on study permits.”
According to strategic intelligence under the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act, extortion attempts have shifted from sporadic incidents to coordinated operations targeting small and medium-sized businesses in construction, real estate and hospitality. The federal government has described extortion as a growing threat to public safety, with demands ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars.
Intelligence indicates a mix of local actors and foreign nationals operating in loosely organized networks with links to overseas crime syndicates. In early 2026, FINTRAC generated over 100 financial intelligence disclosures related to extortion — exceeding the combined totals for 2024 and 2025. Investigations flagged more than 63,000 transactions involving about 300 subjects, revealing laundering techniques such as large ATM cash deposits, heavy layering via email money transfers, and cross-border transfers to India, the UAE and the UK.
Authorities urge anyone with information about businesses or property owned or controlled by listed terrorist groups such as the Bishnoi gang to file a Suspicious Transaction Report with FINTRAC and to disclose property holdings as required under the Criminal Code. Financial institutions are also being asked to watch for high-risk indicators, especially transactions by individuals whose financial behavior is inconsistent with their declared status as international students.
