By Obnews Editorial Staff
A classified Canada Border Services Agency intelligence report obtained exclusively by Global News has raised serious concerns about the alleged use of Canada’s international student and work permit programs by members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
The December 2025 report, titled “The Bishnoi Gang: An Emerging Threat in Canada,” describes the organization as having a growing presence in the country. According to Global News, the CBSA prepared the tactical guide to help immigration officers identify and respond to suspected gang members involved in extortion, shootings and other organized criminal activity targeting South Asian communities.
The report highlights the case of Goldy Brar, a senior Bishnoi associate who entered Canada in 2017, reportedly to study at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, British Columbia. According to the records cited by Global News, it remains unclear whether Brar attended classes. Authorities allege that he instead became a central figure in the gang’s expansion across North America. His current location remains unknown, and the FBI has offered a US$50,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
CBSA investigators reportedly identified a pattern involving some Indian nationals who entered Canada on study or work permits and were later accused of participating in organized criminal activities. Between 2019 and 2023, the report says approximately 4,000 Indian citizens who originally entered on study permits faced a combined 17,929 criminal charges. In 2024, 2,418 Indian study permit holders reportedly faced more than 13,000 charges.
Those 2,418 individuals represented just over one per cent of the approximately 188,125 Indian students in Canada that year. The figures therefore do not suggest criminal involvement by the overwhelming majority of international students. Charges also do not represent convictions in every case. However, the CBSA report emphasizes the rapid increase in alleged serious and organized criminal activity within a relatively small portion of the student permit population.
Investigators reportedly connected the trend to an extortion campaign targeting business owners, entertainers and families in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario. Victims have received threatening messages demanding large payments, sometimes followed by shootings at homes or businesses when the demands were rejected. Videos of the attacks have also appeared online as gang members attempted to spread fear and claim responsibility.
One case cited in the report involved Abjeet Kingra, who entered Canada on a student visa in 2018. Kingra was later convicted for firing 14 shots at the Colwood, British Columbia, home of Punjabi musician A.P. Dhillon in September 2024 while an accomplice set vehicles on fire. Canada’s refugee board ordered Kingra’s deportation in June 2026.
The intelligence report also discusses alleged links between the Bishnoi network, the 2023 killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar and broader concerns surrounding foreign interference. A United States indictment unsealed in July charged Lawrence Bishnoi, Brar and Rohit Godara with racketeering and accused Bishnoi and Brar of ordering Nijjar’s assassination. The allegations contained in the indictment have not been proven in court.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada told Global News that the international student program has declined by 83 per cent over the past two years. Indian nationals now reportedly account for approximately one quarter of student visas, compared with 41 per cent previously. The federal government initially presented its international student restrictions as a response to housing and infrastructure pressures, but the CBSA report suggests public safety and organized crime have also become significant concerns.
Canada designated the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity in September 2025. Authorities have since increased investigations, deportation proceedings and enforcement operations targeting suspected members. The CBSA material also refers to another criminal organization known as the Ruffians, which is alleged to have recruited individuals from within the Indian student community.
Sources speaking separately with The Obnews say the individuals identified in the Global News investigation may represent only part of a wider problem. According to those sources, several other criminal networks and operators are allegedly exploiting student and work permit pathways, recruiting financially vulnerable newcomers and using tactics similar to those attributed to the Bishnoi gang, but have not yet been exposed to the same degree. The Obnews has not independently verified the identities or complete scope of these alleged operations and is withholding identifying details until further evidence can be established. The allegations nevertheless underline the need for stronger screening, enforcement and newcomer support while avoiding the unfair stigmatization of the overwhelming majority of legitimate international students.