Canada is investigating a racketeering case targeting Calgary’s South Asian community. 16 men, including Indians, have been charged, but only one defendant remains in jail and the rest have been released on bail.The 16 defendants face a total of 56 criminal charges related to a series of extortion-related incidents. None of those charged are Canadian citizens and hold student or work visas.Police have released photos of 15 suspects in the hope that the public will provide the latest information about their identities, associates and activities.
According to information released by Calgary police, the names of the 16 accused or wanted persons in connection with the investigation are:
Ravjot TullGermanjeet Singh (wanted on arrest warrant)Jaikaran SinghKarambir SinghAmandeep SinghAnurag SidhuAnurag SinghAmandeep MarleySandeep SinghDaksh GautamAkashdeep SinghJagandeep SinghPardeep SinghTaranveer SinghGurkaran DhaliwalOne defendant was not named in the report you shared because police only released photos of 15 suspects and said 16 people were charged.“What we need right now is more information about these individuals, who they associated with, where they spent their time, whether they worked anywhere, or any other details that may seem small but could be very important,” said Sheriff Jeff Bell.Police said some of the defendants had been using aliases. Bell noted that in one case, a suspect’s roommate did not know his real name until investigators notified him.The release of the photos has been welcomed by members of Calgary’s South Asian community.“We’ve been asking for some pictures,” said Rishi Nagar, news director at Calgary’s South Asian radio station Red FM. “[Without them,] I don’t know if the guy sitting next to me on the bus is the person who’s been charged – I don’t know. “Since April 2025, there have been 49 extortion-related incidents in Calgary, including 19 shootings. Eighteen of those involved shootings targeting victims or their property, while one involved suspects shooting at each other.Bell said the pace of violence has slowed in recent months. Nine of the shootings occurred in the first 60 days of the year, while only two shootings were recorded in the next 100 days.“What this tells us is that we have reduced the violence that is occurring,” he said.The police operations, codenamed Operation Orion and Operation Blackout, combined criminal investigations with increased police presence in South Asian communities to build trust and encourage victims to come forward.Bell called the decision to release 15 defendants on bail “concerning.” He said bail decisions were left to the court after prosecutors argued whether the defendant should remain in custody. Bail law falls under federal jurisdiction, he added, noting that tougher federal bail and sentencing legislation will come into effect next month.Bell declined to discuss the specific bail conditions imposed on the defendants, saying only that police take compliance seriously. He also said any deportation decisions would be made by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).As of June 18, 138 racketeering-related immigration investigations have been opened in the Prairie provinces, according to the latest CBSA data released Thursday. Authorities have issued 37 deportation orders and deported 18 people from Canada.Police are also looking into possible links between the Calgary investigation and the Bishnoi gang.“I’m paying close attention to what’s going on in other parts of the country. Obviously, I’m watching what’s going on in the recent trial in Vancouver where there were links to the allegations of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, so we’re clear on that,” Bell said.“If we find any evidence of this, we will work with our national security partners as they are considered a terrorist organization.”
