British Columbia Premier to ask PM Carney to declare Bishnoi gang as 'terrorist group'

British Columbia [Canada], June 18 : Canadian politician and the premier of British Columbia, David Eby, is set to ask Canadian PM Mark Carney to declare the Bishnoi gang a "terrorist group", as reported by the Vancouver Sun.

As per the Vancouver Sun, Eby said that this is an issue of huge concern not only in British Columbia but also in Alberta and Ontario.

As per the Vancouver Sun, he said on Tuesday that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang had been linked to extortions and other crimes against South Asian community members in B.C., Alberta and Ontario.

Hence, he said he would write to Prime Minister Mark Carney to ask that the gang be given the terrorist designation "to enable police to be able to use the necessary tools to investigate."

According to the Vancouver Sun, police have said South Asian community members are being extorted for cash under the threat of violence or death, and the gang has been linked to some of those threats.

Noting that the Canadian federal government had taken a similar action against a Mexican drug cartel, Eby said, "This is a serious step. We don't make this recommendation lightly, but this activity strikes at public confidence in the justice system, in our democracy."

As per the Vancouver Sun, Satish Kumar, the president of the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir Temple and owner of Reflections Banquet Halls, said his life was threatened after he said he wouldn't pay USD 2 million to an extortionist.

Earlier in May, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had arrested a key aide of the dreaded Lawrence Bishnoi gang who was helping members of the syndicate with fake passports to evade arrest by fleeing the country, the agency said.

Rahul Sarkar, who was running the Lawrence Bishnoi gang's passport module, has been remanded to NIA custody by the agency's Special Court at Patiala House, New Delhi, for further examination.

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