Three deported in Canada’s crackdown on Punjabi business extortion

Canada's Border Agency Deports 3 Linked To British Columbia Extortion Cases

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has deported three foreign nationals linked to ongoing extortion investigations in British Columbia. Alongside the removals, the agency has launched investigations into 78 other foreign nationals who may be deemed inadmissible to Canada.

These actions are part of the newly established B.C. Extortion Task Force, created in September and led by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in collaboration with CBSA’s Pacific Region Immigration Enforcement and Intelligence operations.

The task force aims to combat the recent surge in extortion, shootings, and threats targeting businesses and communities in the Lower Mainland region.

The deportations, announced on November 7, are the first carried out under the 40-member task force, which coordinates intelligence and enforcement efforts against transnational organized crime groups in the province.

The operation involves multiple agencies, including the CBSA, RCMP, Abbotsford Police, CFSEU-BC, Delta Police, Metro Vancouver Transit Police, Surrey Police Service, and Surrey Provincial Operations Support Unit. The RCMP National Coordination and Support Team (NCST) also provides federal support by sharing information and facilitating coordination across provinces.

CBSA officials said the removals mark a significant step in dismantling organized networks linked to extortion and violence targeting Punjabi business owners. According to the agency, the ongoing investigations highlight the critical role of intelligence and inland enforcement teams in disrupting criminal groups.

"To date, the CBSA has initiated immigration investigations into 78 foreign nationals who may be inadmissible and has removed from Canada three individuals related to these investigations,” the statement read.

"These investigations and enforcement actions highlight the critical role our intelligence and inland enforcement teams play in disrupting organized transnational criminal groups. We will pursue the swift removal of individuals who have abused our immigration system and who compromise the safety of our communities," said Nina Patel, Regional Director General, Pacific Region, CBSA.

The extortion crisis in B.C. has escalated sharply in 2025, with perpetrators allegedly using social media to demand cryptocurrency from business owners and resorting to violence and arson when demands were refused. Surrey Police Service reported 65 extortion cases so far this year, 35 of which involved gunfire.

Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree praised the CBSA’s efforts, saying, “I have seen up close just how diligently border services officers and investigators work to ensure the safety and security of our communities and the integrity of Canada’s immigration system. I thank them for their dedication and vigilance in helping to protect our borders and for the active role they are playing in the extortion task force.”

These measures reflect Canada’s increasingly assertive approach toward non-citizens involved in organized crime and underscore the close link between immigration enforcement and criminal investigations in maintaining public safety.