Toronto: The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has deported four Indian nationals of Punjab origin over their alleged involvement in extortion and organised criminal activities.
The four men—Palwinder Singh, Jasmer Singh, Amitoz Bajwa and Sahibjot Singh—were found inadmissible under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) on grounds including links to criminal organisations and involvement in serious offences, according to the agency.
Cases involving alleged extortion, shootings and violent incidents had been registered against the four. Their deportation followed orders issued by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB).
The CBSA said on Monday that it had deported 111 individuals involved in extortion and shooting-related cases during the previous months of this year, while action against several others remains ongoing.
CBSA president Erin O’Gorman said the agency was committed to removing all individuals found inadmissible under Canada’s immigration and refugee protection laws. While the agency did not disclose the nationalities of those deported, sources said seven of the 111 individuals were nationals of countries other than India.
Most of the 111 deportees were residents of British Columbia and Ontario, the agency said.
In 2025, the CBSA deported 23,160 people to their countries of origin, including 1,010 individuals linked to serious criminal activity.
The agency previously had around 530 officers, but the federal government has increased its budget to facilitate the recruitment of 1,000 additional officers. Officials said staffing shortages had contributed to difficulties in removing inadmissible foreign nationals but claimed enforcement capacity was now being strengthened.
Federal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said the government was working to tackle what he described as extortion-related organised crime involving people of South Asian origin. Without naming any country, he said authorities were also investigating whether criminals were acting at the direction of a larger power to create unrest in Canada.
