{"id":548366,"date":"2026-03-20T05:45:16","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T05:45:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/548366\/"},"modified":"2026-03-20T05:45:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T05:45:16","slug":"south-asian-extortion-investigation-in-alberta-leads-to-2-men-deported-from-canada","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/548366\/","title":{"rendered":"South Asian extortion investigation in Alberta leads to 2 men deported from Canada"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has deported two men<\/a> as police investigate a resurgence of extortion in Alberta.<\/p>\n

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The Edmonton Police Service said a joint forces operation called Project Al Extortion<\/a> was launched in 2025 with Alberta RCMP, the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) and the border agency to investigate a new series of violent extortions.<\/a><\/p>\n

Police said suspects were targeting South Asian businesses in Edmonton, while at the same time RCMP in surrounding communities were looking into similar complaints.<\/p>\n

EPS said it began to see a small resurgence in alleged extortion incidents after Project Gaslight<\/a> concluded in 2024.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe stopped these extortions in the Edmonton area for approximately seven months,\u201d said Edmonton police criminal investigations division Supt. Robinder Gill.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the spring of 2025, we saw a cluster of these extortion events now re-emerge.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Since 2024, when extortions by South Asians against members of their own cultural community began to make headlines, police learned more about the activities of the organized crime groups behind it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that this crime type is evolving here in Canada. We also know that these organized crime groups are highly adaptable and they are constantly evolving in their tactics,\u201d Gill said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe structure of these groups is a tiered, predatory network of organized crime where the risk is local, the revenue is global, and the fallout is the erosion of the very trust that holds the Southeast Asian community together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Police began working with other law enforcement agencies to more effectively investigate crimes occurring across multiple jurisdictions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough these partnerships, we shared investigative strategies, intelligence, operational tactics, and investigative resources,\u201d Gill said.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTackling the extortion crisis\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Project Al Extortion identified five suspects in the Edmonton area, who were arrested.<\/p>\n

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Some had alleged links to South Asian business extortions in Calgary, the B.C. Lower Mainland and Ontario.<\/p>\n

\u201cIndividuals and groups who commit extortion-related crimes and threaten the safety of our communities are not restricted by provincial borders,\u201d said Chief Supt. Duncan Pound with the Lower Mainland District RCMP.<\/p>\n

The 22-year-old alleged Edmonton ringleader and another 25-year-old man were deemed to be illegally in Canada and were deported earlier this winter.<\/p>\n

Gill said it\u2019s made a difference.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince we have the removal of our two main suspects and have people in custody, there has been no extortions in relation to this group in the Edmonton region.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tArshdeep Singh (left), was removed from Canada on January 19, 2026. Sukhnaaz Singh Sandu (right), was removed from Canada on February 3, 2026.\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy: Canada Border Services Agency\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

The two deported men were identified by the CBSA as Arshdeep Singh and Sukhnaaz Singh Sandhu.<\/p>\n

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Singh entered Canada on a student visa in 2022. The CBSA said it arrested and detained Singh in November 2025, and reported him inadmissible in Canada over membership in a criminal organization linked to extortion, arson, drug trafficking, and firearm offences.<\/p>\n

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Get breaking Canada news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you won’t miss a trending story.<\/p>\n

In December, the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) also found him inadmissible due to organized crime activity and issued a deportation order.<\/p>\n

Singh was considered a flight risk, and was kept in immigration detention until being escorted out of Canada on Jan. 19.<\/p>\n

Sukhnaaz Singh Sandhu had been in Canada for a decade after arriving as a temporary resident in 2016.<\/p>\n

In November 2025, he was arrested by the CBSA under the same grounds as Sandhu, and was issued the same verdict.<\/p>\n

Sandhu was also deemed a flight risk, so he remained in immigration detention until he Feb. 3, when the CBSA said it removed him from Canada under escort.<\/p>\n

The other three people are under CBSA immigration investigation. The agency said it has been monitoring immigration files potentially linked to extortion cases since last August.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tUpdate from the CBSA on extortion files\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

As of March 12, the CBSA has opened 372 immigration investigations<\/a>, issued 70 removal orders and removed 35 people from Canada.<\/p>\n

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In Edmonton, police said beside the five suspects who have been arrested, an additional 51 suspects have been linked to the criminal network involved in the extortions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese groups weaponize community ties, find victims, effectively poisoning the social fabric of the Southeast Asian community,\u201d Gill said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe organized crime groups exploit the cultural nuances and the language to target families who have worked in some cases, many generations here, to build a safe haven in Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tMore on Crime
\n\t\t\tMore videos\n\t\t<\/p>\n

Those arrested as part of Project Al Extortion are connected to a different suspect wanted for allegedly shooting up an acreage west of Edmonton in Parkland County last fall.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are aware of the Parkland County warrant. There is an association to this network, so yeah, there is a linkage,\u201d Gill said.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMan wanted on Canada-wide warrant linked to South Asian extortion threats in Parkland County\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

EPS said investigators found the criminal networks are recruiting newly-arrived young South Asian newcomers, like foreign students and workers, to help extort or commit petty crimes.<\/p>\n

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For example, police said students or foreign workers are recruited into fraud schemes such as filing false vehicle theft reports, meanwhile turning their vehicle over to the criminal network.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want these potential recruits to know that whether you are the one directing extortions, communicating extortions, committing arsons or other violent acts, or engaging in fraud, police can arrest you,\u201d said Acting Staff Sgt. Darren Coon with the EPS drug and gang enforcement (EDGE) unit.<\/p>\n

\u201cClaiming ignorance is not a defence, and you could face criminal charges, jail time, and\/or removal from the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Police urge anyone who is targeted by extortion attempts, which typically involve threats or demands to make payment using messaging platforms like WhatsApp, to take the following steps:<\/p>\n

Do not respond to the threatening communicationPreserve evidence by taking screen shots of incoming calls or messagesContact police immediatelyIf you are concerned for your immediate safety, find a safe place to stay, such as a friend or family member\u2019s home, until police can reach you<\/p>\n

Gill stressed community members who are threatened need to come forward to police.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to hear from you. You\u2019re a big piece of the puzzle. For police to take action and for us to solve these extortions, three things must occur: if you\u2019re threatened, do not respond. Preserve the evidence, including screenshots and messages, and contact police immediately.<\/p>\n

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\u201cYou need to report. It\u2019s essential.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a result of the investigation, police said they also seized four vehicles and nine firearms.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u2018Enough is enough\u2019: Canada unveils \u2018follow the money\u2019 plan to tackle extortion crisis\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Police said they continue investigative and enforcement efforts targeting the 51 suspects and cases will continue to be referred as needed to the CBSA.<\/p>\n

The border service said the public can report suspicious immigration activities through the Border Watch Line or by calling 1-888-502-9060.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor individuals who are considering reporting extortion-related activities, it is important to know that doing so does not automatically place your own immigration status at risk,\u201d stressed Kristine Conroy with the Canada Border Services Agency.<\/p>\n

\u201cCriminal matters always take precedence over immigration matters.\u201d<\/p>\n

Several people have been convicted as a result of the Edmonton police\u2019s Project Gaslight investigation.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t&copy 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has deported two men as police investigate a resurgence of extortion in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":548367,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[49,48,2169,68979,44,213438,156879,198894],"class_list":["post-548366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-canada","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-crime","tag-extortion","tag-news","tag-project-al-extortion","tag-project-gaslight","tag-south-asian-extortion"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/548366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=548366"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/548366\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/548367"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=548366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=548366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=548366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}