Latest news with #ReflectionsBanquetHalls
Indian Express
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Declare Lawrence Bishnoi gang a terrorist group, says BC premier
British Columbia Premier David Eby has called for urgent federal action against the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Days after the Indian community members held a public safety forum against extortion, Eby said he is writing to Prime Minister Mark Carney, asking him to formally designate it a terrorist organisation amid a surge in violent extortion cases linked to the group across multiple Canadian provinces. 'This is a serious step,' Eby said on Tuesday. 'It gives police significant investigative tools. We don't make this recommendation lightly, but this activity strikes at public confidence in the justice system, in our democracy and in the safety of the community, and it erodes public confidence in the rule of law.' Eby said the gang's alleged operations extend across British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario, particularly targeting members of the South Asian community. Citing a pattern of transnational organised crime, he said that existing law enforcement powers may fall short, and a terrorist designation would allow police to use enhanced legal tools. 'They need additional tools to respond to the fact that this is transnational organised crime,' he said. 'This is more in the nature of terrorism than it is traditional crime. The community is terrified, and action needs to be taken.' RCMP has formed a task force to investigate the extortion threats, which police say often involve demands for cash accompanied by threats of violence or death. There has also been a disturbing increase in shootings targeting South Asian-owned properties. In Surrey, community members gathered over the weekend to voice their fears. Local police confirmed a rise in complaints involving threatening letters, calls, and social media messages. In the past six months alone, 10 cases of extortion have been reported in the city. Several of those reports involve Satish Kumar, president of the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir and owner of Reflections Banquet Halls. He told police that after refusing to pay a $2 million extortion demand, he received death threats. On Saturday at 2:15 a.m., shots were fired at his accounting firm, Satish Satish Accounting Services. His former business, Hub Insurance, was shot at on June 10. Just days earlier, on June 7, his banquet hall was attacked. In that incident, bullets shattered a $23,000 window. Abbotsford police had earlier confirmed that some extortion cases targeting wealthy South Asians in the region were linked to the Bishnoi network. National Investigation Agency (NIA) has described Lawrence Bishnoi as running a 'terror syndicate' from Indian jails, with operations extending to Canada through local associates. The Bishnoi gang has been under increased scrutiny since the killing of singer Sidhu Moosewala in 2022, which was allegedly orchestrated by its members. Eby pointed out that the federal government had previously added Mexican drug cartels to Canada's list of terrorist entities, an approach he believes is now warranted in this case. However, B.C. Opposition public safety critic Elenore Sturko questioned the timing of Eby's announcement and expressed skepticism about the direct links to the Bishnoi gang. 'The police haven't come out and told my community that this gang is responsible for these incidents,' she told the Canadian Press. 'This is a very dramatic and headline-grabbing thing that the premier's done today, but I hope it doesn't distract from the fact that there are other issues at play here that need addressing.' The federal list includes groups like ISIS and the Taliban, but also transnational criminal networks. The federal government's website says, 'one of the consequences of being listed is that the entity's property can be the subject of seizure/restraint and/or forfeiture. In addition, institutions such as banks, brokerages, etc., are subject to reporting requirements with respect to an entity's property and must not allow those entities to access the property.'
Vancouver Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Surrey business owner threatened by extortionists pushes back, offers $100,000 reward
A day after he organized a public forum to talk about extortionists targeting South Asian business owners in Surrey, organizer Satish Kumar says, 'My life is on the line. My family's life is on the line.' Kumar, the president of the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir Temple and owner of Reflections Banquet Halls, said authorities are not doing enough for South Asian businesses and individuals receiving threats from extortionists. Kumar's life was threatened after he said he wouldn't pay $2 million to an extortionist. He has since been targeted by two shootings. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'Nobody in Canada has $2 million in cash,' said Kumar. 'We don't have the money to pay these guys.' Surrey police say they have received at least 10 reports of extortion threats targeting South Asian businesses and individuals, and that the issue is not limited to their city. When the first calls came five or six months ago, Kumar ignored them and blocked the number. They began again a few weeks ago. Most of the calls appear to come from New Zealand or Italy, said Kumar. 'This time, I picked up the phone, they asked me for the money and said we are going to kill me and kill my family,' said Kumar. He knows that refusing to pay, speaking out and organizing a safety forum only puts him in harm's way. 'When you stand up against violence, you may suffer from it,' said Kumar. At 2:15 a.m. on Saturday, Kumar's business Satish Accounting Services in Surrey was shot at. A business he sold several years ago, Hub Insurance, was shot at on June 10. Kumar's Reflections Banquet Hall in Surrey was shot at in the early hours of June 7. Bullets broke a $23,000 window. Fear increased after Satwinder Sharma, a 56-year-old Abbotsford resident whose company supplies farm labour in B.C., was shot to death in a Surrey office building on June 11. Authorities have not said whether the killing is linked to extortion threats. At Sunday's safety forum, Kumar announced a $100,000 reward for tips leading to arrests in the extortion cases. 'We're done waiting,' said Kumar. 'We've gone to the police, to our MLAs, to our MPs. Today was not a plea. It was a declaration. If you're in a position of power and still not acting, we're going to start calling you out by name.' Sunday's safety forum was attended by political and policing leaders including Sukh Dhaliwal, MP for Surrey-Newton, Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke, Public Safety Minister Gary Begg, Surrey Police Chief Norm Lipinski and RCMP Supt. Wendy Mehat. Surrey Police Services said they have launched a dedicated extortions investigations team with serious crime investigators and surveillance-trained officers. 'This team will operate independently but also work with other agencies and task forces,' said Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton of Surrey Police. Also involved is the RCMP unit that helps police Surrey as the new Surrey force continues to recruit officers. The Surrey Police Service plans to increase patrols in areas with higher densities of South Asian businesses, and increase communications and intelligence-sharing with the RCMP's national co-ordination and support team that was established to work with police departments in B.C., Alberta, Ontario and outside of Canada to address extortion. Houghton said the investigations are extremely complex because they cross provincial and international borders. Extortion attempts are under-reported and the SPS is urging people to come forward with information, no matter how minor it might seem, or call Crime Stoppers. 'We need information from the public and business owners that may have been threatened,' said Houghton. 'Without that information, it is hard for police to get a true or accurate picture of how big a problem this is.' A former B.C. solicitor general, Kash Heed, has said he knows of several South Asian Canadians who have paid out between $3 million and $5 million to appease extortionists. Heed said the lack of trust of police has exacerbated the problem, and police need to do more to gain the trust of the South Asian community. Communication has been very limited between police and community members, said Heed. 'The first thing the police need to do is ensure that this will remain quiet. When community members' anonymity is not protected, they are not going to come forward,' said Heed. 'They don't have any trust in the police going back to India, and that carries over to Canada. We have done a terrible job in ensuring the community that we have credible police.' Heed also said the federal government needs to work with the governments in countries that are receiving the extorted funds. 'This can't be handled at a local level,' said Heed. Heed said extortionists are a mix of sophisticated international organized crime groups and local copycats, and both use extreme violence to enforce their demands. 'If they kill me, maybe the police will wake up,' said Kumar. dryan@
