'Its reach is global, intent is criminal': Canada faces growing pressure to declare Bishnoi gang a terror group

Calls are mounting in Canada to officially designate the Lawrence Bishnoi gang as a terrorist organisation, with several high-ranking officials pointing to its alleged involvement in “targeted killings” on Canadian soil.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and the province’s Minister for Public Safety and Emergency Services, Mike Ellis, on Monday urged the federal government to act. In a joint statement, they said:

“The Lawrence Bishnoi Gang is a transnational criminal network responsible for violence, extortion, drug trafficking and targeted killings, including here in Canada. Its reach is global, and its intent is criminal and violent."

The Alberta leaders argued that designating the Bishnoi gang as a terror group would give law enforcement at the provincial and municipal levels better access to tools and resources to “effectively disrupt operations and protect our people.”

This is not the first time Canadian officials have flagged the gang’s growing influence. In June, British Columbia Premier David Eby had also called for the group to be declared a terrorist organisation amid rising concerns over public safety and links to global organised crime.

Canada’s federal Minister for Public Safety, Gary Anandasangaree, acknowledged the calls, telling the media that a “legal threshold” must be met for such a designation. He confirmed that Canadian law enforcement agencies were “considering the issue.”

However, some officials have noted a lack of current intelligence linking the gang directly to organised criminal operations in key provinces. According to Corporal Sarbjit Sangha of the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit,

“So far, I don’t believe I’ve seen any evidence that would tell us that the person you’ve named (Lawrence Bishnoi) has any connection with the groups that are working here, involved with drug-trafficking, firearm trafficking. This person’s name has not come forward,” she told News Derby.

Meanwhile, India has been pushing Canadian authorities to act against members of the Bishnoi gang believed to be residing in Canada, including Goldy Brar, the alleged mastermind behind the 2022 murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala.