India-Canada dispute: India's High Commissioner to Ottawa, Sanjay Kumar Verma, said Delhi could help investigate links to gangs operating in Canada and carry out extortions against Indo-Canadians. However, the envoy put a tick – “if there is a formal request from Ottawa along with evidence”.
According to a report by Reuters, police in Canada are investigating a series of extortions and related crimes that they believe were orchestrated by a suspect in India and involved criminals in Edmonton, Alberta, who targeted the country's wealthy South Asian population region.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government has not yet approached India about the extortion crimes. “The Canadians have yet to apply for evidence,” the Hindustan Times quoted Sanjay Kumar Verma as saying.
Verma also said that there are “mechanisms for cooperation on organized crime” between the two governments.
“If we are provided with specific and relevant evidence – not just baseless allegations – pointing to links between Canadian extortionists and Indian gangsters, we will act accordingly,” HT quoted Verma as saying.
According to media reports, Edmonton police said they have received reports of 27 incidents so far between October and January, including extortions, arson and drive-by shootings, and have asked others who may have been targeted to come forward.
Edmonton police described a new trend in Canada: Victims typically receive a WhatsApp message along with a request for compensation for the victims' safety, Reuters reports.
Canadian police said no injuries were reported as a result of these crimes. However, one of the arson incidents injured a firefighter and caused at least $6.7 million in property damage.
Canadian police said six young men were arrested in connection with the arson and firearms offences.
Those arrested include 20-year-old Parminder Singh, who faces 12 firearms charges in connection with an Oct. 19 shooting at a residence in the city. He remains in custody. Others were identified as Hassan Dembil, 18, Manav Heer, 18, and Ravinder Sandu, 19, who were charged with arson in connection with a house fire on December 19. They have since been released. Also arrested and then released was 19-year-old Arjun Sahnan, who faces five firearms-related charges. One of these suspects left Canada, police said on Thursday, without identifying who it was.
Diplomatic ties between India and Canada have faltered in recent months amid allegations by Canada that it linked Indian agents to the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia last year. India has rejected this claim. Canadian authorities have not yet charged anyone with the killing.
About 4% of Canada's population is of Indian descent, making Canada one of the largest communities of Indian descent, according to the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs.
(Note: The names of those arrested were reported by Hindustan Times)
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