The Canada Border Services Agency announced the removal of three individuals from the country as part of its involvement in B.C.’s newly established provincial extortion task force. Additionally, the agency disclosed that it is currently conducting investigations on 78 foreign nationals who might be deemed inadmissible to Canada and potentially linked to the recent string of shootings and extortion incidents in the province.
Formed earlier this year, the extortion task force comprises approximately 40 officers from various law enforcement agencies, including the CBSA, B.C. RCMP, and municipal police forces. The task force is actively probing numerous cases of extortion and subsequent shootings, predominantly targeting South Asian business owners, causing fear and distress among several local communities.
B.C. Public Safety Minister Nina Krieger emphasized the crucial role of the CBSA within the task force, affirming that individuals perpetrating violent extortion activities that threaten community safety will face arrest and prosecution. Non-Canadian citizens involved in such criminal activities could face deportation from the country.
Nina Patel, the regional director general for CBSA’s Pacific region, underscored the significance of their investigations in disrupting organized transnational criminal syndicates. Notable progress has been made with several arrests and convictions related to the crimes, with some cases tied to the India-based Lawrence Bishnoi gang, recently designated as a terrorist group by the Canadian government.