Man accused of orchestrating Edmonton arson, extortion scheme arrested in United Arab Emirates
CBC
The man accused of orchestrating a string of arsons connected to extortion cases targeting South Asian home builders in Edmonton has been arrested overseas.
Maninder Singh Dhaliwal was apprehended in the United Arab Emirates on separate charges in late 2024, Edmonton police announced Tuesday. An application has been filed to have Dhaliwal extradited to Alberta, said the news release.
Police allege Dhaliwal is the leader of the criminal organization responsible for the series of extortions. The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) investigated 40 related incidents, with the last one — an arson — occurring on July 26.
"This investigation has been a massive effort on the part of EPS investigators, with never-before-seen complexities involving international co-ordination," Insp. Duane Hunter, with the EPS organized crime branch, said in a news release.
"We are very pleased to see it conclude with the request for the extradition of Dhaliwal."
Dhaliwal's extradition could be complicated by the absence of an extradition treaty between Canada and the UAE. A lack of such a treaty means there is no agreement in place that dictates how a person accused of a crime could be transferred from the UAE back to Canada to face trial.
Police issued a Canada-wide warrant for Dhaliwal last July in connection with a rash of extortion incidents that destroyed new or under-construction homes and left the city's South Asian community on edge.
It's the latest in an ongoing investigation known as Project Gaslight, a probe into incidents targeting business owners in Edmonton, alleged to have been carried out by a group of local individuals under direction from India.
Police allege that Dhaliwal, 34, is responsible for orchestrating the crimes from abroad — recruiting people in Edmonton and paying them to deliver threats and light properties on fire when demands for money transfers went unmet.
As of last July, when Dhaliwal's warrant was announced, Edmonton police were investigating 40 crimes related to the spree, including arsons, drive-by shootings and firearms incidents.
The investigation to date has already resulted in a string of arrests.
Last summer, Dhaliwal and six others: four young men, a 17-year-old boy and a 20-year-old woman, believed to have been involved in the scheme, were arrested and charged.
A total of 54 charges were laid against them including extortion, arson, intentionally discharging a firearm, break and enter, assault with a weapon, and charges linked to committing a crime for a criminal organization.
Charges against several suspects were also announced last January.
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