Canada’s refugee agency has ordered the deportation of a suspected gang member of Lawrence Bishnoi who tried to ban the press from reporting on his case.
At a hearing on Friday, Sahibjot Singh admitted firing banned weapons for a criminal organization and conceded deportation.
Although he denied being a member of a criminal organization, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) accused him of being linked to the Bishnoi gang.
Singh, seen on camera at the hearing from his lawyer’s office in Edmonton, is the latest of dozens of Indian nationals he will face Deportation due to involvement in extortion gangs.
Before the hearing began, Singh tried to ban reporters from observing his case, saying he feared “possible retaliation” over his alleged involvement with the Bishnoi group.
“Furthermore, publishing Mr. Singh’s identity would expose him to significant stigma and discrimination in Canada and could place him at additional risk if he were returned to India,” his lawyer wrote.
Singh also said he had outstanding criminal cases in Canada and that publicity surrounding his deportation would impact his upcoming trial.
Global News successfully fought the publication ban.
The World Sikh Organization of Canada also opposed a ban on the case, writing that “proceedings against alleged members of the Bishnoi gang are of significant public interest.”
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“Canadians should have the right to understand who these individuals are, how they have been involved in Canada, the nature and scope of their activities, whether they acted independently or at the direction of others, and what role they may have played in acts of violence, intimidation and cross-border repression,” the organization wrote.
The Immigration and Refugee Agency ruled on June 26 that Canadians are entitled to transparency about how law enforcement responds to racketeering-related crimes and that a public hearing would not affect Singh’s criminal case.
In its decision to authorize his deportation, the agency said Edmonton police had linked the activities of Indian-based extortion gangs in Alberta to several countries.
Investigators intercepted phone calls from France, Portugal and the Netherlands as well as within Canada, board member Trent Cook said in his ruling.
“It shows that there is an international component,” he said.
The gang had a hierarchy in which “individuals at the top gave direction and direction to subordinates at the bottom,” Cook said in his decision.
“It is a sophisticated network of individuals who relied on each other to commit these crimes,” he added. “It is a longstanding, unified collective of people who work together to intimidate victims.”
Lawrence Bishnoi operates out of an Indian prison and leads a transnational crime group that profits through contract killings and extortion.
She preys on South Asian Canadians by sending them messages demanding large sums of money and then opening fire on their homes and businesses.
Canadian police have arrested suspected Bishnoi members in BC, Alberta and Ontario, but many have been referred to the CBSA Moving to India.
Most came to Canada with work and study permits.
The CBSA said As a result of extortion task forces across the country, 484 investigations have been opened and 139 deportation orders issued as of June 18.
81 have already been deported from Canada. The numbers are from June 18th. The CBSA said these are its most recent statistics.
On July 7th the USA Charges against Lawrence Bishnoi and his North American lieutenant Goldy Brar with blackmail – as well as the implementation of the 2023 Assassination of British Columbia Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
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