OTTAWA - Canadian border authorities say they have deported 111 people since August last year in efforts to combat extortion violence in South Asian communities.

The Canada Border Services Agency says 58 cases were in the Pacific region, 30 were removed from the Prairies and 23 from Greater Toronto.

The agency began dedicating resources to identifying immigration and refugee cases linked to extortion violence in August 2025 in Western Canada and expanded operations to Ontario last November.

The CBSA says its operation is to investigate if foreign nationals implicated in extortion violence have also violated Canadian immigration and refugee laws, removing those with known links to organized crime or other criminal activity.

It highlights recent cases where four men were deported for violating the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act with “firearms-related activity,” “serious criminality” and “a pattern of criminal activity.”

A total of 188 removal orders have been issued by the CBSA relating to foreign nationals linked to extortion violence, with 91 in B.C., 47 in the Prairies and 50 in the Greater Toronto Area.

“These investigations are built on information from law enforcement partners, other government agencies, CBSA-led investigations, and public reporting,” the agency release says. 

“The CBSA places the highest priority on enforcement and removal of cases involving criminality, organized crime and individuals who pose a risk to public safety.”

A tip line is in place to share information on such cases with border agents.

Surrey, B.C., has been among the hardest hit by the extortion violence in Canada.

Police there say there have been 139 reported extortions so far this year, with 21 cases of shots fired, two arsons and 74 victim.

The CBSA did not identify the home countries of deportees, but authorities across Canada have cited the role of the India-based Lawrence Bishnoi gang in extortion crime, with the federal government designating it a terrorist group in September last year.

“The Bishnoi gang generates terror in the communities in which they operate through their involvement in extortions and intimidation,” Public Safety Canada says in its listing of the group, which it says “engages in murder, shootings and arson” as it targets diaspora communities.

Border authorities have deported 111 due to extortion violence since last August