A classified Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) intelligence report obtained by the media warns that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang has exploited Canada’s international student and work permit programs to establish and expand its criminal network across the country.
The report, titled “The Bishnoi Gang: An Emerging Threat in Canada,” was prepared by the CBSA’s Intelligence and Investigations Directorate in December 2025 and circulated internally to help immigration officers identify members of the transnational crime syndicate.
According to the report, alleged Bishnoi gang leader Goldy Brar entered Canada on a student visa in 2017, reportedly to attend Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, British Columbia. However, the report states it is unknown whether he ever attended classes, alleging that he instead helped expand the gang’s operations in Canada.
The intelligence assessment says investigators have increasingly identified Indian foreign nationals holding study permits and work permits as participants in organized criminal activities linked to the gang, particularly extortion targeting South Asian communities.
CBSA officials noted that while Canada’s overall extortion rate declined by 10 per cent in 2024, the number of Indian citizens charged with extortion increased by 47 per cent during the same period. Investigators found recurring links between extortion cases, alleged gang leader Goldy Brar, and suspects holding student or work permits.
The report also highlights a sharp rise in criminal charges involving Indian study permit holders. It states that between 2019 and 2023, approximately 4,000 Indian citizens studying in Canada were charged with 17,929 criminal offences, including 4,920 serious or organized crime-related charges, most of which were classified as violent offences.
In 2024, the report says more than 13,000 criminal charges were laid against Indian citizens on study permits. However, it also notes that those charged represented just over one per cent of the 188,125 Indian international students in Canada that year.
The CBSA assessment concludes that the Bishnoi gang has demonstrated a growing operational presence in Canada and raises concerns about the use of Canada’s immigration programs for criminal purposes.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) did not directly address whether the student visa program had been exploited by organized crime but noted that international student approvals have declined significantly since new federal caps were introduced, with Indian nationals now accounting for a smaller share of approved study permits than in previous years.
The report has renewed debate over immigration screening and international student oversight, while experts cited in the report argue stronger vetting and monitoring measures are needed to prevent organized crime groups from exploiting Canada’s immigration system.
