SURREY — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is urging the federal government to classify the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, based in India, as a terrorist organization. His appeal came during a visit to Surrey, British Columbia, following recent arrests by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) related to extortion targeting the South Asian business community.

Last month, the RCMP announced they had arrested two individuals in connection with an investigation into these extortion cases. Authorities have linked some of these incidents to the Bishnoi gang, whose leader, Lawrence Bishnoi, is currently incarcerated in India.

Poilievre stated that designating the gang as a terrorist entity would be part of a broader tough-on-crime initiative that the Conservative Party plans to present during the upcoming fall session of Parliament. He emphasized that such a designation would assist law enforcement and prosecutors in addressing the activities of this international extortion group, which has been operating not only in Surrey but also in cities like Calgary and Brampton, Ontario.

In addition to the terror designation, Poilievre's party is advocating for increased mandatory prison sentences for extortion offenses, proposing a minimum four-year sentence for first-time offenders. "Our plan repeals catch and release bail, brings in mandatory jail time for repeat offenders, and ensures that we have a ban on the Bishnoi terrorists, so that this network of extortionists and terrorists are automatically criminalized," he said at a news conference.

This call for action is not new. In June, British Columbia Premier David Eby requested that the federal government label the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist organization. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith echoed this request last month. The push for a terror designation reflects growing concerns over the gang's influence and activities in Canada.