the suspects abducted the man from a residence
As more young people from Punjab have migrated to Canada and Calgary on study visas, there is an evident surge of their involvement in criminal activities.
Calgary police have released photos of individuals involved in a series of incidents related to extortion, shootings and other crimes.
The 17 individuals are involved in 59 cases and investigators have warned that some may have fled to India.
According to information released by police, several of the individuals are young adults who allegedly became involved in criminal activities rather than pursuing their studies.
Among those named is Gagandeep Singh, who was allegedly involved in the kidnapping of a man from Edmonton on May 6 as part of an attempt to extort a Calgary family.
According to police, the suspects abducted the man from a residence in Edmonton between 6:30 pm and 7:30 pm, threatening and assaulting him at gunpoint before driving him to Calgary.
The alleged intention was to force the victim to persuade a friend, who was the intended target, to come outside his home in the Cityscape neighbourhood in northeast Calgary.
When the victim refused to cooperate, police said he was assaulted again.
The friend and his wife later attempted to leave their home but were allegedly threatened with a firearm, prompting them to return inside and contact police.
The first victim was driven back to Edmonton early the following morning and released near his home, after which he also contacted police.
Calgary Police Superintendent Jeff Bell said the man sustained minor injuries but described the incident as “obviously a very traumatising situation for him and it will take some time for him to recover mentally and physically”.
Police arrested two men during a traffic stop on the night of the alleged kidnapping and arrested two further suspects on May 12.
Investigators also seized a privately manufactured firearm and laid charges including kidnapping, assault and firearms offences.
Daksh Gautam, Taranveer Singh, Pardeep Singh and Akashdeep Singh were among those charged in connection with the incident and faced charges of kidnapping with a firearm, unlawful confinement, assault and assault with a weapon.
In a separate investigation into an extortion incident, Calgary Police Service’s Organised Crime and Offender Management Section charged two adults and a youth.
A woman had received demands for money through WhatsApp at around 4:30 pm on March 25.
The messages allegedly contained detailed information about her personal and business affairs, including her full name, address, business details and information about her family.
The caller also repeatedly attempted to contact her and made explicit threats of violence.
Around 12 hours later, a suspect allegedly fired a gun at the woman’s home before fleeing in a vehicle.
After gathering physical and digital evidence, including CCTV footage from the surrounding area, investigators identified a suspect vehicle and several possible suspects.
A 17-year-old male was arrested on July 29, 2026, for allegedly facilitating communication between the victim and those making the threats. He was charged with one count of extortion and has since been released from custody.
Kanureet Kaur was charged with one count of extortion.
Police are also seeking information about Tanveer Singh, who is wanted on a warrant for possession of stolen property valued at more than $5,000 in connection with the possession of a stolen vehicle allegedly used during the shooting.
Other Punjabi suspects identified by police include Ravjot Toor, Gurkaran Dhaliwal, Ishandeep Singh, Jarmanjit Singh, Amandeep Singh, Karanbir Singh, Amandeep Malli, Sandeep Singh, Jaskaran Singh and Anurag Singh Sidhu.
This type of criminal activity is leading to a bad reflection on the Punjabi community in Canada, especially those who have worked hard to settle and make Canada their home through generations.
This behaviour from the new migrants is tarnishing the reputation of Punjabis and Punjab itself.
The question arises as to what the motives are for these crimes being committed on foreign soil. And what are the drivers for these types of criminal activities?
It is likely that Canadian immigration authorities will be revising their visa and study policies due to these crimes, thus impacting the prospects of those who genuinely want to go to Canada to study and make a life in the country.
The UK, for example, has already revoked visas for Bangladeshi and Pakistani students who have been abusing the systems originally welcoming foreign students.
