Sixteen people, including persons of Indian origin, have been charged in a Canadian investigation into an extortion racket targeting the South Asian community in Calgary, but only one accused remains behind bars while the rest have been granted bail.The 16 accused face a total of 56 criminal charges related to extortion-related incidents. None of those charged are Canadian citizens and are in the country on student or work visas.Police have released mugshots of 15 suspects in hopes the public can provide fresh information about their identities, associates and activities.
Based on information released by Calgary Police, the names of 16 accused or wanted individuals connected to the investigation are:
Ravjot ToorGermanjit Singh (wanted on warrant)Jaskaran SinghKaranbir SinghAmandeep SinghAnurag SidhuAnurag SinghAmandeep MalhiSandeep SinghDaksh GautamAkashdeep SinghGagandeep SinghPradeep SinghTaranveer SinghGurkaran DhaliwalOne accused whose name has not been publicly released in the reports you shared is because police have only published mugshots of 15 suspects while reportedly 16 have been charged.“Now we need more information about these people, who they’re associating with, where they’re spending their time, whether they’re working anywhere, or any other detail that may seem small but could be very important,” the superintendent said. Jeff Bell.Police said some of the accused were using aliases. Bell said that in one instance, a suspect’s roommate did not know his real name until investigators informed him.The release of the photos has been welcomed by members of Calgary’s South Asian community.“We are demanding that there be some photographs,” said Rishi Nagar, news director of Calgary’s South Asian radio station Red FM. “(Without them) I don’t know if the person sitting next to me on the bus is the same person who has been charged or not – I don’t know.”There have been 49 extortion-related incidents in Calgary since April 2025, including 19 shootings. Eighteen involved shootings targeting victims or their property, while one involved suspects shooting at each other.Bell said the pace of violence has slowed in recent months. There were nine shooting incidents during the first 60 days of this year, while only two incidents were recorded in the next 100 days.“So this tells us right here that we have reduced the amount of violence that occurs,” he said.The police operations, code-named Operation Orion and Operation Outage, combine criminal investigations with an increased police presence in South Asian neighborhoods to build trust and encourage victims to come forward.Bell described the release of 15 accused on bail as “worrying”. He said it is up to the courts to decide on bail after prosecutors argue whether an accused person should remain in custody. He said bail laws fall under federal jurisdiction and said stricter federal bail and sentencing laws are set to take effect next month.Bell declined to discuss specific bail conditions imposed on the accused, saying police take compliance seriously. He also said any decision on deportation would depend on the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).According to updated CBSA data released Thursday, 138 immigration investigations involving extortion have been opened in the Prairie provinces as of June 18. Authorities have issued 37 removal orders and deported 18 people from Canada.Police are also investigating possible links between the Calgary investigation and the Bishnoi gang.Bell said, “I’m keeping a close eye on what’s happening in other parts of the country. I’m watching what happened in our recent trial in Vancouver where Lawrence Bishnoi is accused of gang ties, and so we’re mindful of that.”“If we find any such evidence, we will work with our national security partners because they are considered a terrorist organization.”