Particle.news
Download on the App Store
5 ARTICLES
·
last wk.

Poilievre Urges Terrorist Listing for India-Based Bishnoi Gang During Surrey Visit

Public Safety says national security experts are independently reviewing whether the group meets the Criminal Code threshold.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre speaks during a news conference in Surrey, B.C., Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns
The Lawrence Bishnoi (centre) gang is a transnational criminal network responsible for violence, extortion, drug trafficking and targeted killings, including in Canada. (HT photo)
Speaking in Surrey, B.C., on Wednesday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre added his voice to the list of politicians demanding the federal government list the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist organization.

Overview

  • The Conservative leader pressed for the designation in Surrey, where police report 10 extortion cases in six months and RCMP announced two arrests last month.
  • Investigators have linked some extortion targeting South Asian businesses to a network associated with Lawrence Bishnoi, who is incarcerated in India.
  • B.C. Premier David Eby, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown have already called for the terrorism label.
  • A Criminal Code listing would criminalize activities tied to financing, travel and recruitment, beyond existing tools for prosecuting criminal organizations.
  • Poilievre said his party will push the move in the fall alongside proposals for mandatory jail terms for extortion and repeals of Bills C-5 and C-75.