Canada’s Project Pelican: $50 mn drug bust uncovers ISI-Khalistani nexus funding anti-India activities

Canadian authorities dismantled a massive drug and terror operation with alleged links to pro-Khalistani groups and Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI. The operation, codenamed Project Pelican, was spearheaded by Peel Regional Police and is now being recognised as one of the country’s largest drug busts to date.

Law enforcement officials seized 479 kilograms of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $47.9 million (₹410 crore), along with two loaded semi-automatic firearms. Nine individuals were arrested in connection with the bust, seven of whom are of Indian origin and based in Canada.

According to police, the accused were part of a well-organised network that moved illicit drugs across commercial trucking routes between the United States and Canada, with strong ties to Mexican drug cartels and US based distributors. Intelligence sources suggest that the financial gains from the smuggling operation were being funnelled into anti-India activities, including the organisation of overseas referendums, disruptive protests, and procurement of weapons.

Project Pelican marks the largest drug bust in our service’s history, with nearly $50 million in cocaine seized and a major transnational organized crime network dismantled.

This success was made possible through @PeelPolice’s outstanding collaboration with @CanBorder, DEA,… pic.twitter.com/lkhpgxfupd

— Peel Regional Police (@PeelPolice) June 10, 2025

Investigators believe the group may have been supported by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), which has long been accused of leveraging Khalistani elements in Canada for geopolitical purposes. The alleged involvement includes facilitating the smuggling of Mexican cocaine and Afghan heroin through a network that provided both funding and logistical support for separatist activities targeting India.