Canada Bans Bishnoi Gang, Declares It Terrorist Entity

Canada has officially declared the Lawrence Bishnoi gang a “terrorist entity” under its Criminal Code, a move that empowers authorities to freeze or seize any of the group’s assets in the country and prosecute its members with stronger legal provisions.

The announcement was made on Monday by Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, who stated that the decision aims to protect Canadian communities from organized violence and intimidation. Under the new designation, it is a criminal offence for Canadian citizens, or anyone abroad, to knowingly deal with property owned or controlled by the Bishnoi gang. Providing property or resources that could directly or indirectly benefit the group will also be punishable.

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Stronger Legal Powers for Enforcement

With this designation, Canadian law enforcement agencies can target the gang’s financial resources, including cash, vehicles, businesses, and real estate. Immigration authorities also gain the power to deny entry to suspected gang members attempting to enter Canada.

The government emphasized that the move reflects its stance against criminal organizations whose activities foster fear and threaten public safety. “Acts of violence and terror have no place in Canada, especially those that target specific communities to create a climate of fear,” the official statement read.

Calls from Politicians and Community Leaders

Pressure to classify the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist outfit had been mounting for months. Conservative MP Frank Caputo, the opposition’s shadow public safety minister, had urged the government to act, citing the gang’s involvement in murder, extortion, and drug trafficking. In his letter to Anandasangaree, Caputo pointed out the group’s violent activities targeting Canadian citizens, stressing that these acts met the criteria for terrorist designation.

Other political figures also supported the move, including Patrick Brown, Mayor of Brampton — home to a large Sikh population — as well as British Columbia Premier David Eby, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, and Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke.

A Criminal Empire with Global Reach

The Bishnoi gang, led by jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, has been linked to a series of high-profile crimes in India and abroad. The group gained international notoriety after being accused in the assassination of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala in May 2022.

Since then, the gang has been linked to multiple killings, including:

• December 2023: Murder of Rajput leader Sukhdev Gogamedi.

• October 2024: Killing of Maharashtra politician Baba Siddique.

• April 2025: Gunfire outside the Mumbai residence of Bollywood actor Salman Khan.

The group’s international operations, once managed by Bishnoi’s associate Goldy Brar, have been tied to arms and narcotics trafficking networks stretching from South Asia to North America.

Ties to Nijjar’s Killing and Diplomatic Fallout

The gang’s profile rose sharply after the June 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and pro-Khalistani figure. Nijjar’s murder triggered a major diplomatic standoff after Canada’s then Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, accused India of involvement — a claim New Delhi strongly rejected.

Relations between the two countries hit their lowest point in decades. However, ties have begun to improve under Trudeau’s successor, Mark Carney. In August this year, Ottawa reinstated a senior diplomatic posting in New Delhi, the first since the height of the dispute.

By designating the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity, Canada has signaled both its intent to crack down on transnational organized crime and its willingness to address long-standing security concerns raised by India.