Canada has deported two Punjab men over alleged links to extortion networks in Edmonton. (File Photo)Two men from Punjab, allegedly linked to a violent extortion network targeting South Asian businesses in Edmonton, Canada, have been deported from the country, even as a nationwide crackdown has led to 35 deportations since August 2025.The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has stepped up enforcement since August 2025, initially focusing on the Pacific and Prairie regions before expanding operations to the Greater Toronto Area by November. The agency said on Wednesday that as of March 12, 2026, it had initiated 372 immigration investigations related to extortion networks, issued 70 removal orders, and enforced 35 deportations.Arshdeep Singh, 22, an Indian national who entered Canada on a study permit in 2022, was deported on January 19, 2026, while Sukhnaaz Singh Sandhu, 25, who had been in Canada since 2016 and was previously linked to the Ruffians gang in Surrey, British Columbia, was sent back on February 3, 2026. Both had been detained in November 2025 and were later found inadmissible by the Immigration and Refugee Board for membership in a criminal organisation involved in extortion, arson, drug trafficking and firearm offences.The deportations were carried out by the Canada Border Services Agency under escort, with officials opting for immigration enforcement over criminal prosecution in these cases to expedite the disruption of the network.The action is part of ‘Project Al Extortion’, a joint operation launched in 2025 by the Edmonton Police Service in collaboration with the Alberta RCMP, Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams. and the CBSA, following a resurgence of extortion-related incidents in the city. Investigators have identified a wider network of over 50 individuals allegedly linked to the scheme.Also Read | Deportation discrepancy: 2,831 Indians sent back between Jan-Oct, says Canada; 188, says MEAAccording to police, the network employed intimidation tactics through messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, often escalating to arson attacks, shootings or other forms of violence when demands were not met. Authorities said the group actively recruited newly arrived foreign students and temporary workers, particularly from South Asian communities, as low-level operatives, warning that involvement could lead to criminal charges, imprisonment and deportation.Project Al Extortion builds on an earlier crackdown, ‘Project Gaslight’, which concluded in 2024 after targeting similar extortion and arson activities against Edmonton’s South Asian community and resulting in multiple arrests and convictions. While incidents had briefly declined after that operation, police said there was a resurgence in spring 2025, prompting fresh coordinated action.Story continues below this adInvestigators have also pointed to inter-provincial links, including connections to extortion cases elsewhere in Canada and a Canada-wide warrant linked to a shooting at an acreage in Parkland County.Officials said the crackdown is part of a broader strategy to dismantle transnational extortion rings, many of which are believed to have links across provinces such as British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario, and often target South Asian-owned businesses through threats and violence.The police have urged victims to come forward, saying community cooperation has been critical in advancing investigations and curbing the networks.