Alberta sends $8M to police to fight organized crime targeting South Asian community
Four police forces are splitting funding to tackle extortion and organized crime that has been targeting South Asian businesses in Calgary and Edmonton.
Alberta is investing $8 million across four police forces to crack down on organized crime and extortion targeting the South Asian community, particularly in Calgary and Edmonton.
The Calgary Police Service and Edmonton Police Service are each receiving $2.24 million. The Alberta RCMP is getting $2 million, and ALERT is receiving $1.5 million. The forces will use the funding to invest in specialized investigative resources and tools including surveillance, intelligence, and digital forensic equipment.
"No single agency can tackle this threat alone," said Mike Ellis, Alberta's minister of public safety and emergency services. "Families, businesses, communities deserve to live without fear of extortion, intimidation and violence."
Extortion crimes targeting Calgary and Edmonton's South Asian business communities have been escalating. Victims typically receive threats or demands for payment via WhatsApp, social media, or international phone calls. Some cases have involved arson and shootings. The Calgary Police Service is actively investigating at least 28 extortion incidents.
Ellis said the province became aware of the issue in 2023. "As the minister of public safety, I reached out to the chiefs to determine if indeed this was occurring right here in the province of Alberta," he said. "We confirmed that that was indeed the case."
In Edmonton earlier this year, a joint operation by EPS and Alberta RCMP cracked down on a criminal network linked to violent extortion of South Asian business owners, resulting in deportations including a man described as a "ringleader." Police have not ruled out connections to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, an India-based group designated as a terrorist entity in Canada.