Front Burner — "Gunshots, arson, threats: B.C’s extortion crisis"

CBC Front Burner with Jayme Poisson | Aired Nov 25, 2025
Guests: Benit Braich (Abbotsford), Evan Dyer (Ottawa)

Episode Overview

This episode provides a comprehensive look into the alarming spike of gun violence, arson, and extortion affecting the South Asian community in B.C.’s Lower Mainland. Host Jayme Poisson speaks with CBC colleagues Benit Braich and Evan Dyer to unpack what's actually happening on the ground, discuss the involvement of gangs and alleged Indian government agents, and explore how these issues intersect with a broader warming of Canada-India diplomatic relations.

Key Discussion Points

1. The Resumption of Canada-India Trade Talks

• Jayme opens with news that Prime Ministers Mark Carney (Canada) and Narendra Modi (India) have agreed to restart trade talks after years of diplomatic freeze due to the 2023 murder of a Sikh activist in Surrey, B.C.
• The RCMP accused Indian agents of a campaign of homicide, extortion, and threats targeting the Canadian South Asian community.
  • Evan Dyer (03:04): “There are gains to be made there. And I think that the Prime Minister was talking about potentially doubling trade with India by the end of the decade, which would mean... something like another $35 billion worth of trade value.”

2. Who is Behind the Extortion and Violence?

• The RCMP made a rare, extraordinary statement in October 2024 regarding violence thought to be orchestrated, at least in part, by Indian state actors, not just criminal gangs.
  • RCMP Statement (06:00): "We feel it is necessary to do so at this time due to the significant threat to public safety in our country."
• The alleged goal from India's side: Use violence and extortion in Canada to paint the country as lawless and tie that back to Sikh separatist activity, thereby pressuring Canada diplomatically.
  • Evan Dyer (07:30): “The Indian government had an interest in extortion as a way to build a narrative that Canada was somehow out of control... try to tie that lawlessness to the presence of Khalistani agitators.”

3. Historical and Political Context

• Long-standing tension over the Khalistani separatist movement, especially prominent in diaspora communities outside India.
  • Recap of the 1984 assassination of Indira Gandhi and subsequent anti-Sikh pogroms, and how trauma fuels ongoing activism.
  • India's concern is that diaspora activism could revive insurgency back home.

4. The Role of the Bishnoi Gang and Transnational Crime

• The Bishnoi gang, led by Lawrence Bishnoi (imprisoned in India but still operational), is named as a key actor.
  • Evan Dyer (11:05): “That's the name that he adopted when he was heavily involved in student politics in Punjab... has been in an Indian prison for several years now, many years, and that doesn't seem to put much of a crimp in his activities.”
• Indian intelligence allegedly using criminal gangs instead of spies to intimidate diaspora and commit violence overseas.

5. How Extortion Schemes Unfold on the Ground

(13:27)

• Benit Braich: Outlines how extortion begins with letters, calls, and texts, now escalated to violence:

  • Victims receive demands for huge sums (e.g., $1M–$2M), sometimes after businesses are shot at or cars torched as a “warning.”
  • Example: Local business owner discovers bullet holes before ever receiving a call. Demanded $1M after the attack.
  • Fear is widespread among ordinary South Asian business owners, not just activists.

• Notable Quote:

  • (15:43) Business Association rep (paraphrased): “It has moved from if it will be me... now it is, when will it be me?”

• Shift from targeting Sikh activists to a broader South Asian and business community, including lawyers and celebrities.

  • Benit Braich (16:27): “We're understanding it as a South Asian community issue from the pattern that we're seeing... but people really feel that at the end of the day, they are Canadians.”

6. Motives, Copycats, and Levels of Violence

• Not all targets are associated with Khalistani activism.
• Authorities believe some extortionists are "copycats" leveraging the Bishnoi reputation.
• Some demands seem less about collecting money and more about precipitating violence—shootings or arson meant to create chaos and fear.
  • Evan Dyer (17:07): “There were some extortion demands that were pitched ridiculously high... the RCMP felt like these extortion demands were so high because the people doing the extortion were looking to move to retribution quickly.”

7. Law Enforcement Response and Community Frustration

(22:12)

• At recent town halls, fear and anger are palpable. Many feel let down by the slow progress.

  • Example: In Abbotsford, no charges/arrests; in Surrey, seven men have been charged.

• The RCMP admits being “on the back foot” but have now launched task forces and increased resources.

  • RCMP rep (23:09): “As often happens when we get waves of a crime come in... we were initially on the back foot for sure. We're not anymore.”

• Ongoing community questions: Why aren’t deportation suspects named? Why so few arrests?

8. Concerns About the Canada-India Diplomatic Rapprochement

• Evan Dyer observes a possible change in India’s attitude—recent events were met with less aggression, possibly due to economic priorities overtaking political ones.

  • Evan Dyer (27:00): “Maybe we've been exaggerating that concern and maybe we should actually just let this all blow over.”

• Jayme Poisson (28:06): Raises the moral hazard of returning to business as usual after murders, sending a dangerous precedent.

• Evan Dyer: Confirms Sikh community fears they are being “sacrificed” for trade.

  • Evan Dyer (28:29): “There is a very big concern within the Sikh community... they are going to be the sort of sacrificial lamb that India and Canada agree to... to get back to normal in their bigger trading and diplomatic relationship.”

9. Powerful Community Testimony

• Maninder Singh, Sikh Federation of Canada, at the town hall (31:07):

  • “I have multiple duty to warns of imminent assassination by the federal government and federal agencies in this country.”
  • Expresses outrage that Canada would pursue deeper trade ties while Indian government-linked violence goes unaddressed.

• Community demands national solutions, not just “regional band aid” fixes.

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• "My street has been shot up three times... My kids are scared." — Local resident (01:44)
• “We feel it is necessary to do so at this time due to the significant threat to public safety in our country.” — RCMP statement (06:00)
• “It’s moved from if it will be me... now it is, when will it be me.” — Business association member, relayed by Benit Braich (15:43)
• “There is a very big concern within the Sikh community... they are going to be the sort of sacrificial lamb...” — Evan Dyer (28:29)
• "I have multiple duty to warns of imminent assassination..." — Maninder Singh, Sikh Federation of Canada (31:07)
• “If it's not Bishnoi, it's gonna be somebody else tomorrow... there's no way that he's sitting in a maximum security prison running this operation without India somehow being involved.” — Maninder Singh (31:29)

Important Segments & Timestamps

• [03:04] — Canada-India trade relations and their economic significance
• [06:00] — RCMP’s extraordinary public warning about Indian interference
• [13:27] — Braich details how extortion and threats unfold in the community
• [15:43] — Business owners express pervasive fear
• [22:12] — Community town halls: fear, frustration, lack of arrests
• [27:00] — Observed shift in India’s diplomatic approach; focus on trade
• [28:29] — Sikh community concern about being “sacrificed”
• [31:07] — Maninder Singh’s testimony on direct threats and policy critique

Tone & Atmosphere

The conversation is urgent, empathetic, and sometimes deeply personal, highlighting both the terror and frustration among victims and advocates. Poisson grounds the discussion in current affairs while her guests provide grounded, detailed, and sometimes chilling on-the-ground reporting.

Summary Takeaway

The extortion and violence crisis in B.C. is deeply complex—tangled up in international politics, criminal networks, and the lives of ordinary Canadians. As trade talks resume between Canada and India, many in the South Asian community fear their safety is being compromised for diplomacy, while law enforcement struggles to keep up with a rapidly evolving and highly intimidating campaign of fear.