3 people deported in connection with B.C. extortion investigations

B.C.’s public safety minister says authorities have launched investigations into 78 individuals linked to local extortion crime.

Three people have been deported from Canada amid an ongoing task force targeting violent extortion threats in B.C.’s Lower Mainland.

Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Nina Krieger shared the update Friday, confirming that authorities have also launched immigration investigations into 78 foreign nationals.

“Those that commit extortion and terrorize our communities will be pursued, arrested and charged,” Krieger said.

“If individuals come into this country with the purpose of perpetrating violent extortion, they will be removed from Canada following all appropriate laws.”

The provincial task force was launched in mid-September with 40 members from an array of law enforcement agencies, including the Canada Border Services Agency.

A CBSA spokesperson said she could not comment on the deportations Friday, citing privacy concerns and the need to “protect the integrity of the investigation process.”

“It should be noted that criminal proceedings take precedence over immigration matters, which will delay a removal,” the spokesperson said in an email.

“However, many of the processes can be conducted concurrently to a person serving their sentence, ensuring that once a criminal sentence has been completed, and due process is completed, the CBSA will carry out their removal.”

There have been dozens of extortion attempts reports since 2023, primarily targeting South Asian businesses.

In some cases, shop owners have received chilling phone calls demanding they pay millions of dollars, then had their businesses targeted with gunfire or arsons.

Authorities have linked some of the crimes to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang in India, which was designated as a terrorist organization in September.