Bishnoi gang has stoked fear in Canada for years, says B.C. city councillor
Global News
Fear of the Bishnoi gang and its leader has permeated Canada's South Asian diaspora for years, says a city councillor in Richmond, B.C.
Alleged members of an Indian gang and its leader have been sending shivers down the spines of members of the South Asian diaspora in Canada for years, says a city councillor in Richmond, B.C.
Kash Heed said the Bishnoi gang, led by Lawrence Bishnoi, gained notoriety and instilled fear among Indian Canadians well before the RCMP accused the syndicate this week of orchestrating violent crimes on Canadian soil.
Mounties have alleged Indian diplomats shared information about Sikh separatists in Canada with the Indian government and top Indian officials then passed information to the Bishnoi.
“(Lawrence Bishnoi’s) reputation precedes him,” said Heed, also a former B.C. solicitor general and a West Vancouver police chief, in an interview.
“He is an individual that is prone to violence in India. A couple of years ago, the Bishnoi gang really started to hit the airwaves and people (were) concerned about it … a lot of the diaspora know about Lawrence Bishnoi and his activities (in India).”
On Monday, the federal government expelled six Indian diplomats after the RCMP said it had credible evidence Indian agents played a role in crimes, including the killings of Canadian citizens and extortion.
“What we’ve seen, from an RCMP perspective, is the use of organized crime elements and it’s been publicly attributed and claimed by one organized crime group in particular, which is the Bishnoi group,” said RCMP Assistant Commissioner Brigitte Gauvin in a news conference Monday.
“And we believe that group is connected to agents of the government of India.”
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