Canadian authorities deport over 100 Bishnoi gang members amid crackdown
Canadian border agents and police are intensifying efforts to expel members of the Lawrence Bishnoi criminal network, with over 111 deported so far. A birthday party video on social media helped seal one suspect's fate.
Birthday party video on social media links Indian national to Bishnoi gang
According to Toronto Sun Crime, Canadian authorities have ramped up their campaign against the Lawrence Bishnoi transnational criminal organization, with nearly 200 members ordered out of the country and at least 111 already deported.
At the centre of one notable case is Jashandeep Singh, 25, an Indian national who arrived in Canada in December 2022 on a student visa. Singh now faces deportation after the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) found him inadmissible and ordered his removal in July, following allegations that he was associated with the Bishnoi criminal enterprise.
Edmonton police allege they used video footage captured from social media — taken at a birthday celebration — to connect a distinctive handgun to a shooting at a café in Surrey, British Columbia. Court documents obtained by CBC News detail the chain of events that unravelled after the footage surfaced.
A birthday party that backfired
The gathering took place in Edmonton in August 2025. Arshdeep Singh, identified as a mid-level Bishnoi associate who was subsequently deported from Canada earlier in 2026, travelled from Calgary to attend. Video from the event showed attendees passing around a handgun before the group moved to a rural area. In one clip, Arshdeep Singh is seen firing the weapon into the air at least five times.
Investigators located spent shell casings at the rural site after discovering the footage on social media. That evidence connected the weapon to a shooting at a Surrey café, which formed part of a broader investigation into extortion-related shootings in the Lower Mainland.
The video set off a series of arrests, search warrants, and seizures.
At his immigration hearing, Jashandeep Singh denied any involvement with the Bishnoi organization. He described the video footage — including a clip in which he appears to point a semi-automatic firearm at another person's head — as a joke. The IRB ruled his testimony was riddled with inconsistencies and lacked credibility.
A dedicated team with political backing
A Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) agent, speaking to the Toronto Sun on condition of anonymity, confirmed that dismantling the Bishnoi network is a top institutional priority.
"We have a dedicated team that is targeting the Lawrence Bishnoi Group. They are among our highest priorities and thankfully, there's finally some political will to get the job done," the agent said.
The Bishnoi organization — formally designated a terrorist entity — has been linked to terror, extortion, drug trafficking, and murder-for-hire operations across Canada. A letter attributed to the gang, dated 2025 and obtained earlier this month, claimed the network had 5,000 "soldiers" operating in the country. The letter stated: "We are giving you a written warning and challenge. We are Indian gang Canada has no guts to stop us is that clear – we will rule in CANADA now no one can stop us we are very powerful."
It continued: "You will see we will takeover CANADA soon."
Years of unchecked growth
The documents obtained by CBC News surface at what Toronto Sun Crime describes as a pivotal moment for the Bishnoi network. For years, the organization reportedly expanded with little institutional resistance, drawing new recruits into Canada with relative ease.
Of the nearly 200 Bishnoi-linked individuals ordered deported, at least 111 have been removed from the country to date. Canadian authorities have framed the ongoing operation as a sustained effort rather than a one-off enforcement action, pointing to the dedicated CBSA task force as evidence of longer-term institutional commitment.
The case of Jashandeep Singh is expected to proceed through the immigration process, with his deportation order standing following the IRB's rejection of his testimony.
Source: Toronto Sun Crime