Canada claims Bishnoi running global crime syndicate from Guj Prison

A classified report by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has alleged that Lawrence Bishnoi, the notorious jailed leader of an India-based criminal syndicate, continues to run a network involved in extortion, drug trafficking and contract killings from inside an Indian prison, as per reports.

Canadian local news allegedly stated that the Bishnoi gang has expanded its violent operations in Canada and is allegedly “acting on behalf of the Indian government” to target Sikh separatists and other individuals viewed as threats. The report has surfaced at a time when India and Canada are preparing to resume trade negotiations.

Bishnoi is currently held in Sabarmati Central Jail in Gujarat. Neither the Government of India nor the Gujarat Prison Department or the Indian High Commission in Canada had responded to the allegations. 

Canada first publicly raised allegations of links between Indian agents and the Bishnoi gang on October 15, 2024. At the time, the RCMP said it had “significant information” suggesting that agents of the Government of India were coordinating with the criminal network in what it described as wide-ranging criminal activity on Canadian soil.

Back then, India had strongly rejected the accusations, describing them as “absurd and politically motivated”. New Delhi responded by expelling six Canadian diplomats and recalling its ambassador from Ottawa, further deepening diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

The report cited that Bishnoi has been imprisoned in India since 2015 but has “reportedly continued to run his organisation while detained”. The document alleges that he has coordinated closely with associates, including Goldy Brar, whose real name is Satinderjeet Singh, to manage a network of around 700 members spread across India, North America, Europe and other regions.

In Canada, the gang has been linked to a series of extortion rackets and shooting incidents and relies on violence to advance its criminal enterprises, including money laundering and murder-for-hire operations.

The report further claimed direct collaboration between the Bishnoi syndicate and Indian government officials, alleging that criminal groups were used to target pro-Khalistan leaders. It refers to the 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, and the murder of Sukhdool Singh in Winnipeg. Both men had been designated as terrorists by India.