Extortion threats are prompting families in Peel Region to leave Canada as the police departments are still trying to get a better handle on these cases as they cross provincial and international borders, Toronto City News reported.
Dharmjit, an Indian-origin man, who became the target of the extortion gang late last year, said the police do not have enough resources to fight the criminals. Dharmjit said he started receiving extortion calls in October 2025. He informed the police blocked all the numbers. But the extortion calls never stopped coming. And then there was a firing at his farm on November 25. Dharmjit said the cops advised them to stay away from that residence. They did that. But when they returned, the gunfire too returned.
“So if the police cannot protect you, the police have nothing to protect you. So what do you do? They say, leave from your house, leave your house. Where do you go? Why do you want to buy another house in the same area or the same country? Better leave the country,” Dharmjit said.
“They start in October, calling me about money. Then I informed the police. So I blocked the number, then they started calling from another number, and I blocked this number. Then they come on November 25th at my farm, they shoot, at night,” he said.
Bishnoi gang link
Extortion targeting Indians has become a normal thing in Canada, with local government calling on the federal government for help in fighting this organized crime. Indian-Canadian gangster Lawrence Bisnhoi is believed to be the mastermind of these operations, though he is in jail in India. Bishnoi gang identifies targets, demands money, then shoots at the property, makes a video of it, and then again demands money through the video -- threatening that the next time the fires will be shot inside the house
Peel Regional Police Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich said he does not have any evidence to point to the Bishnoi gang which is active in extortion-related incidents in Surrey, Brampton.
