Calgary police have released photos of 15 men charged in racketeering-related incidents in the city.
Sixteen men, including individuals of Indian descent, have been charged in a Canadian investigation into an extortion racket targeting Calgary’s South Asian community, but only one of the accused remains behind bars while the rest have been released on bail.The 16 defendants face 56 criminal charges linked to a series of extortion-related incidents. None of the defendants are Canadian citizens and are in the country on a student or work visa.Police released photos of 15 suspects, hoping members of the public can provide new information about their identities, associates and movements.
Based on information released by Calgary Police, the names of the 16 people charged or wanted in connection with the investigation are:
ravjot torGurmanjeet Singh (wanted on judicial orders)Jaskaran SinghKaranbir SinghAmandeep SinghAnurag SidhuAnurag SinghAmandeep MalhiSandeep SinghDaksh GautamAkashdeep SinghGagandeep SinghPardeep SinghTaranveer SinghGokaran DhaliwalOne of the accused has not been publicly named in reports shared, with police only releasing photos of 15 suspects while stating that 16 people have been charged.“What we need now is more information about these people, who they are associated with, where they spend their time, whether they work anywhere, or any other details that may seem small but could be very important,” Supt said. Jeff Bell.Police said some of the accused were using aliases. In one case, the suspect’s roommate did not know his real name until investigators informed him, Bell noted.
Members of Calgary’s South Asian community welcomed the release of the photos.“We demanded that there should be some pictures,” said Rishi Nagar, news director at RED FM, a South Asian radio station in Calgary. “[Without them,] “I don’t know if the person sitting next to me on the bus is the person who has been charged or not – I don’t know.”There have been 49 racketeering-related incidents in Calgary since April 2025, including 19 shootings.
Eighteen of them involved shooting directed at the victims or their property, while one involved the suspects shooting at each other.Bell said the pace of violence had slowed in recent months. Nine of the shootings occurred during the first 60 days of this year, while only two were recorded during the next 100 days.“This tells us that we have reduced the amount of violence that occurs,” he said.The police operations, codenamed “Operation Orion” and “Operation Blackout,” combine criminal investigations with increased police presence in South Asian neighborhoods to build trust and encourage victims to come forward.Bell described the release of 15 defendants on bail as “worrying.” He said bail decisions return to the courts after prosecutors debate whether the accused person should remain in custody. He added that bail laws fall under federal jurisdiction and noted that tougher federal legislation on bail and sentencing is set to take 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 decision on deportation would be up to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).According to updated CBSA numbers released Thursday, 138 immigration investigations linked to extortion have been opened across the Prairie provinces as of June 18. Authorities issued 37 removal orders and deported 18 people from Canada.Police are also examining possible links between the Calgary investigation and the Bishnoi gang.“I’m closely monitoring what’s happening in other parts of the country. I’m watching clearly what happened in Vancouver during our recent trial where there is a connection to allegations of association with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, so we are aware of that,” Bell said.He added: “If we find any evidence indicating this, we will work with our national security partners because they are considered a terrorist organization.”
