"By following the money and leveraging the power of financial intelligence we can effectively target, disrupt and dismantle the organized criminal networks that profit from this illicit activity and threaten the safety of  Canadians."

Sarah Paquet, chief executive officer, FINTRAC

Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre to drive Canada’s fight against extortion  Lexpert

 

According to a recently released report by the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), comes the revelation that a more than sixfold increase in extortion cases have occurred in the first quarter of 2025. More extortion cases have been logged thus far in 2025 than in the preceding two years combined -- recognized as reflecting a dramatic increase in financial crimes committed in Canada over the past few years.

 

The Centre  handed off to police more than 100 such extortion cases since the start of the year, the majority  of the crimes having taken place in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario. Threatening phone calls reflect the most common communication between the criminals and their victims; the targets receive phone calls or encrypted social media messages containing threats if large sums of money are not paid. Such threats can reach the hundreds of thousands of dollars demanded.

 

The FINTRAC 100 extortion cases involved over 63,00 financial transactions from some 300 subjects frequently seen to be linked to money laundering and terrorist financing. Small and medium-sized businesses become targets of these schemes, reflecting sectors such as retail, transportation, construction, real estate and hospitality. Agents acting as bridges between criminal organizations and the  intended victim represent the usual scheme, with agents between 17 and 28 years of age with an Indian passport, registered as foreign students at community colleges.

 

Edmonton police say this fire inside a home under construction in the city's west end last January is believed to be linked to a known extortion scheme. (David Bajer/CBC)

 

When the transaction has been successfully extorted, the agent makes deposits at several financial institutions or money services businesses, then sends money on to individuals or companies located in India, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, or Kenya or Portugal. The FINTRAC analysis reveals the involvement of multiple crime organizations -- two well-known rival gangs included -- the Bishnoi Gang and Bambiha Gang, based in northern India.

 

These organizations are known for extortion and contract killing, whose crimes are mostly targeted at Indo-Canadian businesses and individuals. The proliferation of the digital world where the virtual currency market has emerged has spurred the extortion wave, leading to FINTRAC setting a new record in the sheer number of cases it tracked and sent on to police for potential criminal investigation.

 

Leaps in fraud, cyber ransomware, online child sexual exploitation and a range of similar online crimes frequently directly related to other financial crimes like money laundering and terrorist financing encompassed this wave of extortion. Canadians, according to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, were scammed out of $643 million in 2024, in online fraud. 

 

RCMP report on the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and its alleged ties to the government of India. Global News

 

* The Bishnoi Gang, led by Indian gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, is one of the most prominent and violent organized‑crime groups originating in northern India. The Bishnoi Gang is a transnational criminal organization with a presence in Canada and is active in areas with significant diaspora communities. The gang’s core criminal portfolio reportedly includes a variety of fraud schemes, human trafficking, narcotics trafficking, extortion, and targeted killings, which are described as its largest revenue sources both domestically and abroad. The group operates through a vast network of enforcers and international associates, including collaborators from other Indian crime syndicates, who help coordinate contract killings and other financially motivated crimes from outside India. The Bishnoi Gang creates a climate of insecurity for Canadians in diaspora communities as it targets them, their prominent community members, their businesses, as well as cultural figures within the community. The entity is also known as Bishnoi Group, Lawrence Bishnoi Group, and the Bishnoi Crime Group and was designated by the Government of Canada as a listed terrorist entity on September 29, 2025.

* The Bambiha Gang, named after deceased leader Davinder Bambiha, functions as a rival to the Bishnoi syndicate and has grown into a sprawling network of operatives involved in extortion, contract violence, and large‑scale protection rackets. The organization operates through a multi‑layered structure of regional commanders inside India and international coordinators based abroad (including Canada and the U.S.), enabling it to sustain operations ranging from violent attacks to coordinated intimidation campaigns. The gang reportedly forges alliances with other criminal syndicates to expand its influence and revenue streams, particularly in the lucrative extortion economy.

FINTRAC Bulletin 

In the news today: Extortion schemes   (The Canadian Press)