Canada lists the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity

Canada has listed the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity, following calls from Conservative and NDP politicians.

The listing bars Canadians from financing or aiding the group led by Lawrence Bishnoi, the gang’s leader in India, who has reportedly coordinated criminal activities from a cellphone inside a prison.

“Every person in Canada has the right to feel safe in their home and community, and as a government, it is our fundamental responsibility to protect them,” said Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Public Safety. “Specific communities have been targeted for terror, violence and intimidation by the Bishnoi Gang. Listing this group of criminal terrorists gives us more powerful and effective tools to confront and put a stop to their crimes.”

Last year, the RCMP accused India of using the Bishnoi gang to carry out murders and acts of extortion targeting Canadians, particularly those who advocate for the creation of a separate Sikh country to be called Khalistan.

New Delhi has rejected those claims and says it has instead been working with Ottawa to try to stop the gang’s financial flows to Canada.

The new designation allows authorities to seize property and freeze accounts, and Ottawa says this will help fight crime targeting prominent members of India’s diaspora in Canada.

Wesley Wark, a senior fellow with the Centre for International Governance Innovation, has previously said that a terror listing likely won’t deter the gang, as Canada’s main issue is a lack of capacity in gathering criminal intelligence.