Surrey mayor urge Ottawa to designate extortion gangs, including Bishnoi, as terrorist groups

June 25, 2025

Parteek Singh Mahal

SURREY, BC – A unified demand is emerging from across Canada as the Mayor of Surrey officially joins a growing chorus of municipal leaders, including the Mayor of Brampton, and British Columbia Premier David Eby, in urging the federal government to designate the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and other groups involved in extortion and violence targeting Canadians of South Asian descent as terrorist organizations under Canadian law.

This increasingly urgent call underscores widespread concern over the escalating threat of transnational organized crime impacting communities nationwide.

In a statement released on Wednesday mayor Brenda Locke said, “Whether these groups operate locally or internationally, this designation is a critical step in equipping law enforcement with the necessary tools to dismantle these dangerous networks and protect our residents and businesses.”

The Mayor emphasized the alarming rise in extortions, threats, and shootings linked to these criminal organizations, labeling such acts as “economic terrorism” that destabilize community safety and constitute a “public safety crisis.” Declaring these gangs as terrorist entities, the Mayor argued, would empower police with greater authority, enable asset freezes, and strengthen investigations, ultimately making streets safer.

Premier David Eby had previously made headlines last week by publicly urging Prime Minister Mark Carney to designate the Lawrence Bishnoi gang as a terrorist organization. Eby had stressed that conventional policing methods might not be sufficient to tackle the transnational organized crime behind these threats, suggesting a terror designation would provide police with more robust investigative powers, similar to measures taken against Mexican drug cartels.

While joining this provincial chorus, the Mayor of Surrey also stressed the crucial need for community members to overcome fear and report these crimes. “I continue to receive calls from residents who are too frightened to go to police. We must ask ourselves why they are scared,” the Mayor stated, urging victims to preserve all evidence—messages, call logs, videos—and to never pay extortion demands.

Addressing the provincial government directly, the Mayor stated, “To Premier Eby, Minister Begg and Attorney-General Sharma: you asked Surrey to bear the weight of a major police transition, and Surrey is playing its part in supporting it. But you must also do your part in ensuring that there is no public-safety gap and to ensure our residents are protected every step of the way.”

In a recent interview, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown also described the Bishnoi gang as a “horrible criminal organization and asked federal government to designate it as a terrorist organization.”