Canada police allege India involved in serious criminal activity

New Delhi: Canada’s federal police on Monday accused the agents of the Government of India of being involved in “serious criminal activity” in the North American country.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police claimed that investigations had revealed that India’s diplomats and consular officials based in Canada had leveraged their official positions to engage in clandestine activities, such as collecting information for the Government of India, either directly or through their proxies; and other individuals who had acted voluntarily or through coercion.

Michael Duheme, the commissioner of the RCMP, briefed media persons in Ottawa about the findings of the investigation into the role of India’s agents in criminal activities in Canada.

“Through our national task force and other investigative efforts, the RCMP has obtained evidence that demonstrates four very serious issues: violent extremism impacting both countries, links tying agents of the Government of India (GOI) to homicides and violent acts, the use of organized crime to create a perception of an unsafe environment targeting the South Asian Community in Canada; and interference into democratic processes,” Duheme said.

“There have been well over a dozen credible and imminent threats to life which have led to the conduct of Duty to Warn by law enforcement with members of the South Asian community, and specifically members of the pro-Khalistan movement,” the RCMP stated.

As a result, in February 2024, the RCMP created a multidisciplinary team to investigate and coordinate efforts to combat this threat. The team has learned a significant amount of information about the breadth and depth of criminal activity orchestrated by agents of the Government of India, and consequential threats to the safety and security of Canadians and individuals living in Canada, Duheme said in Ottawa.

The RCMP stated in a press release that Canada’s Deputy Commissioner of Federal Policing, Mark Flynn, had made attempts to meet with his Indian law enforcement counterparts to discuss violent extremism occurring in Canada and India, and present evidence pertaining to agents of the Government of India's involvement in serious criminal activity in Canada. “These attempts were unsuccessful, therefore Deputy Commissioner Flynn met with officials of the Government of India, along with the National Security and Intelligence Advisor (NSIA), Nathalie Drouin, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs David Morrison over the weekend,” it added.