Ottawa [Canada], September 15 (ANI): The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has removed 111 individuals from Canada as part of enforcement efforts targeting foreign nationals linked to extortion and organised criminal activity.
In a release issued on Monday, the CBSA said that as of September 3, a total of 188 removal orders had been issued on various inadmissibility grounds under Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), with 111 individuals subsequently removed from the country.
The CBSA highlighted four recent cases of people of Indian origin as examples of its enforcement efforts.
Palwinder Singh, a foreign national linked to an extortion-related shooting in the fall of 2025, was removed after the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada found him inadmissible under IRPA for being a member of a criminal organisation linked to extortion-related violence.
Jasmer Singh, who was convicted in Canada of forcible confinement, was found inadmissible for serious criminality under IRPA. He was subsequently issued a deportation order and removed from Canada.
Amitoz Bajwa was removed after the Immigration and Refugee Board found him inadmissible for being a member of an organisation engaged in a pattern of criminal activity. The CBSA said he was also linked to firearms-related activity and an extortion-related shooting.
Sahibjot Singh was found inadmissible under IRPA for being linked to an organisation engaged in a pattern of criminal activity. The CBSA said Singh acknowledged committing offences that formed part of the organization's pattern of criminal activity before he was removed from Canada.
The removals formed part of a coordinated enforcement initiative involving law enforcement partners across the country to identify, investigate and remove individuals found inadmissible to Canada, including those suspected of involvement in criminal and organised crime activities such as extortion.
The CBSA said it dedicated resources to investigating cases with potential links to extortion in the Pacific and Prairie regions in August 2025 before expanding the initiative to the Greater Toronto Area in November 2025.
Of the 188 removal orders issued, 91 were in the Pacific Region, where 58 individuals have been removed. The Prairie Region accounted for 47 removal orders and 30 removals, while the Greater Toronto Area recorded 50 removal orders and 23 removals.
The agency said its investigations draw on information from law enforcement partners, other government agencies, CBSA-led investigations and public reporting, with enforcement and removal of cases involving criminality, organised crime and risks to public safety given the highest priority.
“Extortion and organised crime threaten the safety of our communities. The Government of Canada is committed to disrupting these activities through strong collaboration with law enforcement partners and decisive enforcement action. By identifying and removing inadmissible individuals involved in criminal activity, we are strengthening public safety,” Canada's Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said, as per the release.
CBSA President Erin O’Gorman said the removal of more than 100 individuals reflected the agency's continued efforts to identify and investigate people posing a threat to communities.
“The removal of more than 100 individuals linked to extortion activities reflects CBSA’s sustained efforts to identify, investigate and take action against those who pose a threat to our communities. These results also demonstrate the impact of strong collaboration with law enforcement partners across Canada and our shared commitment to combating organised crime,” O’Gorman said, as per the release.
The CBSA said that in 2025 it removed 23,160 inadmissible persons, including 1,010 who were subject to serious inadmissibility involving serious criminality, national security, war crimes or human rights violations, organised crime and criminality.
The agency said it is currently removing approximately 400 inadmissible individuals every week. Under Canada's Border Plan and Budget 2025, the CBSA will hire 1,000 new officers to strengthen border security, while the agency currently has about 530 officers dedicated to immigration enforcement, including investigations, detention, hearings before the Immigration and Refugee Board and removals.
The CBSA also operates a Border Watch Line through which members of the public can provide information about the whereabouts of individuals who may be inadmissible to Canada. (ANI)
Canada removes 111 people linked to organized crime in crackdown on extortion
