NATIONAL STORIES
Loose Student Visa Screening Allowed Notorious Foreign Gang to Root in Canada, Secret Intelligence Reveals
A classified CBSA report reveals how India’s Bishnoi gang exploited Canada’s foreign student visa system to build a violent extortion network.
Classified Intelligence Highlights Immigration Gaps
A December 2025 classified intelligence report from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) reveals that the Bishnoi crime group, an Indian syndicate recently listed by Ottawa as a terrorist organization, has systematically used Canada’s international student visa system to expand its footprint. The document highlights how lenient immigration screening permitted gang leaders and recruits to establish operations inside the country, fueling a surge in violent extortions across Canadian cities.
The gang’s senior figure in Canada, Goldy Brar, initially entered the country in 2017 on a permit to study at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, B.C. Brar later applied for refugee status before absconding, ultimately managing local extortion rings and orchestrating high-profile violence, including the June 2023 murder of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey.
Soaring Crime Rates Linked to Permit Holders
Data within the CBSA’s “Tactical Guide” indicates that while national extortion rates fell 10 percent in 2024, extortion charges against Indian nationals jumped 47 percent. Between 2016 and 2024, criminal charges among Indian student permit holders increased by 8,800 percent. The report details that 4,000 Indian citizens on study permits were charged with 17,929 offences between 2019 and 2023, with nearly a third tied to serious or organized crime. In 2024 alone, over 13,040 criminal charges were laid against Indian study visa holders, though officials noted the 2,418 individuals charged comprised just over one percent of the 188,125 Indian students that year.
Former CBSA officer and criminologist Kelly Sundberg criticized the federal government’s “wide-open, honour-based” approach to foreign student admissions, stating it created a recruitment pool of vulnerable youth for overseas criminal networks. Although federal immigration officials capped foreign student visas in late 2024 citing housing constraints, immigration representatives confirmed overall international student permits have dropped 83 percent over two years, with Indian nationals now making up 25 percent of visas compared to a previous 41 percent.
Community Impact and State Connections
The Bishnoi gang’s extortion operations have terrorized South Asian business owners and residents in communities such as Surrey, Edmonton, and Brampton. Gunmen frequently record drive-by shootings of homes and businesses to publish on social media alongside financial demands. Criminology experts note that the strategy seeks to force entire communities into paying a systemic “taxation scheme.” Recently, these extortions expanded beyond Punjabi Sikhs to target broader Indo-Canadian groups.
Canadian authorities also allege links between the crime group and Indian government officials, suggesting diplomats passed details about Canadian critics to the gang to carry out state-linked objectives. Furthermore, federal intelligence notes the gang has begun to fracture following a rift between Brar and jailed leader Lawrence Bishnoi. Despite stepped-up enforcement under the RCMP-led Project SEVA task force, experts warn that many victims remain hesitant to report threats, choosing instead to comply in silence.
NATIONAL STORIES
Search Continues After Ontario-Based Medical Flight Vanishes Near Massachusetts Coast
U.S. Coast Guard crews are searching near Nantucket for a missing Latitude Air Ambulance jet carrying four Canadians and two passengers from Bermuda.
Emergency Search Underway Off Nantucket
Air and ground search teams are scanning waters approximately 150 kilometres southeast of Boston after a medical transport aircraft vanished early Saturday morning. Contact with the Gulfstream G100 jet was lost around 1:30 a.m. as it made its approach toward Boston from Bermuda, prompting a response from the U.S. Coast Guard following notification by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Flight Carrying Crew and Patients
The aircraft is operated by Hamilton-based Latitude Air Ambulance. According to Clarence Togeretz, operations manager for the company, six individuals were aboard the flight. The crew consists of two Canadian pilots and two Canadian medical staff members. They were transporting two Bermuda nationals, identified as a patient and a family member.
Response and Ongoing Inquiries
Togeretz confirmed that the company contacted American authorities after the plane failed to land on the tarmac as scheduled. He noted that this marks the first instance where the operator has lost contact with one of its aircraft, adding that the team is holding onto optimism while praying for a safe resolution. Latitude Air Ambulance has reached out to Transport Canada regarding the incident. Meanwhile, provincial air ambulance provider Ornge expressed support via social media, stating it hopes the aircraft and everyone on board are located safely and quickly.
NATIONAL STORIES
Why Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre Questions Mark Carney’s New Pipeline Stance
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre criticizes Mark Carney’s pipeline proposal, calling him an illusion and questioning his shift on oil and gas.
Poilievre Dismisses Carney’s Fast-Track Pipeline Proposal
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has expressed strong skepticism regarding Mark Carney, describing him as an “illusion” ahead of an upcoming major announcement. Poilievre questioned Carney’s recent backing of a proposal to fast-track and construct a West Coast pipeline project.
Contrasting Past Record with Recent Statements
Poilievre highlighted Carney’s history over the past decade, pointing out that the former banker worked to defund oil and gas, established an alliance aimed at shutting down the sector, opposed a Pacific pipeline, and advocated for higher carbon taxes.
“I don’t know how you can go in three years from believing oil and gas is going to end the world to believing you support oil and gas,” Poilievre stated. “I guess miracles are possible. He claims to have changed his mind but he hasn’t really changed the results. There’s been a lot of talk.”
Comparisons to Foreign Project Delivery
In assessing the situation, the Conservative leader observed that large-scale infrastructure projects are completed rapidly in nations like Germany and the United States.
NATIONAL STORIES
Michael J. Fox Earns Canada’s Highest Civilian Distinction for Parkinson’s Work
Michael J. Fox was elevated to companion of the Order of Canada alongside 50 other honourees, including UBC engineering professor Yusuf Altintas.
National Honours Presented at Rideau Hall
During an investiture ceremony on Friday morning at Rideau Hall, Gov. Gen. Louise Arbour formally elevated celebrated actor and advocate Michael J. Fox to the companion level of the Order of Canada, drawing a standing ovation from attendees. Rideau Hall cited his unflinching honesty and powerful global advocacy concerning Parkinson’s disease for the elevation. Fox, who publicly disclosed his diagnosis in 1998, has helped generate $2.5 billion for research into the progressive nervous system disorder, which causes tremors, slowness, stiffness, memory difficulties, and depression.
Distinguished Inductees Recognized Across Fields
A total of 51 individuals joined or advanced within the Order of Canada during the Friday event. Arbour praised the group in French for directing their skills, influence, and effort toward the public good rather than personal gain alone, noting that Fox serves as a shining example of using courage, imagination, and determination to foster lasting progress.
The newly honoured members and officers include noteworthy figures across various disciplines. University of British Columbia mechanical engineering professor Yusuf Altintas was inducted as an officer alongside McGill University professor Nada Jabado, who was recognized for her contributions to pediatric neuro-oncology. Former Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz became an officer for his efforts supporting international trade and economic stability. Sculptor Ruth Elsie Abernethy entered as a member for her worldwide bronze statues exploring heritage, gender, and nation-building, while Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Susanne Craig was named a member for her impactful reporting across major American and Canadian news outlets.
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