Extortion in Canada has evolved from opportunistic street crime into a coordinated threat, forcing business owners, families and individuals to remain on high alert. Neil Mugabe explores the groups and tactics behind rising extortion activity in the country and the challenges that lie ahead for law enforcement.
Extortion activity has come under the spotlight in Canada, with recent schemes not only rising in number, but also threatening the safety of businesses and individuals through the use of physical violence. In 2025, official statistics from the province of British Columbia reported 133 cases of extortion, up starkly from nine reported cases in 2024. The upward trend, however, is not isolated to British Columbia, with Alberta and the Peel Region noting similar increases in recent years. The Peel Region, in particular, reported a notable rise in business-targeted extortion incidents - from 50 in 2023, to 153 in 2024, to 192 in 2025. The scale, coordination and persistence of extortion activity, as well as growing links to organised crime groups, have prompted law enforcement to respond to what is now a growing national threat.
Small business owners are the most common targets of extortion activity in Canada. But with transnational gangs expanding operations across Canada, the victim profile is fast evolving.
In the past, extortion incidents in Canada were typically attributed to domestic-based organised crime groups demanding protection money from small businesses in their ‘designated territories’, or opportunistic lone actors. In recent years, however, the threat has evolved with an increasing number of transnational groups directing coordinated schemes and systematically targeting victims.
Extortion incidents linked to transnational groups over the past few years have followed a three-step process of escalation, and more often than not, involved physical violence.
The Bishnoi gang, is one of several transnational criminal groups operating across Canada, adopting technology and a decentralised models to increase the scale of extortion activity. The group - designated a terrorist organisation in Canada in September 2024 – is responsible for the majority of extortion threats against South Asian businesses owners, leveraging their knowledge of the diaspora to identify high net-worth victims. Like other transnational groups, the leaders of the Bishnoi group operate outside Canada and successfully direct extensive criminal operations, including extortion activity, via encrypted apps in Canada. These groups are increasingly recruiting foreign nationals or temporary residents who have entered Canada on student permits to carry out their extortion schemes. In January 2026, for example, a 22 year-old student fired shots into the residence of a South Asian business owner following an unmet extortion demand of CAD 500,000. The student, linked to the Bishnoi gang, was later arrested by the police and deported in March 2026, however, similar incidents continue to occur with perpetrators successfully coaxing victims into paying extortionate ransom amounts to secure the safety of their businesses and families.
Canadian authorities have increased their response to the growing threat of extortion. Law enforcement agencies have established dedicated units, including the British Columbia Provincial Extortion Task Force and the Peel Regional Police Task Force, to conduct investigations alongside enhanced patrols and victim safety checks. New laws introduced in 2025 and 2026 have further sought to make bail harder to obtain for those charged with violent extortion offences. These measures also provide police with access to tools, enabling them to compel internet and mobile service providers to share subscriber data more quickly, reducing wait times from approximately 40 days to near real time. Authorities have also launched initiatives with financial institutions to identify suspicious money transfer patterns associated with extortion or money laundering. These measures have contributed to a significant increase in enforcement activity, with over 400 extortion-related charges against perpetrators made in Peel Region in 2025.
The road to meaningfully tackle extortion activity, however, remains a challenge. Under-reporting by victims remains a constraint on enforcement efforts. Further, despite increased arrests by law enforcement, a lack of evidence often results in charges against perpetrators being dropped, emboldening the growing operations of criminal groups. The increased use of technology, coupled with the transnational nature of extortion networks, has additionally complicated both attribution and eradication, as individuals carrying out attacks locally are easily replaced by group leaders directing operations from outside Canada. As law enforcement continues to contend with the quick evolution of extortion activity and tactics, businesses and individuals will remain at risk of rising extortion activity across Canada.