Lawrence Bishnoi Letter Claims 1,000 Operatives in Canada
A letter delivered to a police station in Abbotsford, B.C., on Aug. 13, 2025, claimed the lawrence bishnoi gang had more than 1,000 people willing to carry out shootings in Canada. Edmonton Police Const. Kevin St. Louis told the Immigration and Refugee Board that police received a letter addressed from the gang.
St. Louis said the letter described the group as a criminal organization with “upwards of 1,000 individuals” ready to carry out shootings. He also said it added that “every business needs to pay their tax,” language that tied the threat to extortion.
Abbotsford Letter
The letter was delivered to a police station in Abbotsford, and St. Louis said it came from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Lawrence Bishnoi is the founder and kingpin of the gang, born on Feb. 12, 1993, in Dutarawali, a village in India’s Punjab region. He has been in jail in India since 2015 and is held in Sabarmati jail in Ahmedabad.
Public Safety Canada describes the Bishnoi Gang as a transnational criminal organization operating primarily out of India. The government says it has a presence in Canada and is active in areas with significant diaspora communities, targeting Canadians in those communities, their prominent members, their businesses and cultural figures.
Canada Listing Last September
Canada listed the Bishnoi Gang as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code last September. Gary Anandasangaree said at the time that the listing gives Canada “more powerful and effective tools” to confront and stop the gang’s crimes. Under that designation, property owned by the group in Canada can be frozen or seized, and dealing with that property can be a criminal offence.
Public Safety Canada said, “The Bishnoi Gang generates terror in the communities in which they operate through their involvement in extortions and intimidation.” It also said, “The Bishnoi Gang also engages in murder, shootings and arson.”
Nijjar Case Connection
The government of Canada has accused the Bishnoi gang of involvement in the shooting death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, B.C., on June 18, 2023. Three months later, Justin Trudeau told the House of Commons that authorities were also investigating the possible involvement of Indian government agents.
For Canadian businesses and diaspora communities named in the government description, the Abbotsford letter shows how the gang’s threat has moved from designation and investigation into a direct claim of reach on Canadian soil. The immediate consequence is not a new charge or court ruling, but a larger evidentiary record for police and immigration proceedings, now anchored by a letter and sworn testimony.
