Why is Canada Thinking About Declaring an Indian Gang as Terrorists?

Lawrence Bishnoi, an Indian mobster jailed since 2014, and his associate, Goldy Brar, have been ruthless in extorting, threatening and killing members of Canada's Punjabi and Sikh communities.

On August 7, 2025, surveillance cameras outside Kap’s Café in Surrey, British Columbia, recorded gunfire breaking out, windows shattering, and staff taking cover. It was the second attack on the restaurant, owned by comedian Kapil Sharma, in less than a month.

Within hours, gangster Goldy Dhillon, claiming ties to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, one of the most important Indian organized crime groups, posted on social media: “If he still does not respond, then we will take the next action in Mumbai soon.”

The attack is one of a series of shootings, explosions and threats that have targeted South Asian businesses across Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta in recent months. Despite being in prison in India since 2014, and never having set foot in Canada, Bishnoi and his main associate, Goldy Brar, have been headline news in Canada for several years, but responses from authorities are intensifying.

On August 20, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre called on the federal government to declare the group a terrorist organization. Regional leaders in British Columbia have asked for such a move for months.

But how did Bishnoi and Brar become such a threat to the country?