Ottawa, March 17 (NationPress) The escalating threats of extortion that Punjabi builders are encountering in Vancouver, Canada, serve as a stark indication that unchecked organized crime transcends neighborhood boundaries, undermining trust, hampering growth, and threatening national integrity, a report revealed on Tuesday.

According to a report from Khalsa Vox, what started as isolated incidents in Surrey has evolved into a much larger problem. Builders are now taking drastic measures such as removing signage from construction sites, erasing contact details from their online presence, postponing projects, and living in constant fear that their success makes them vulnerable targets. These threats are not merely hypothetical; they come with the tangible risk of violence, including shootings, arson, and drive-by assaults, which have already led to loss of life and devastated families in the area.

“One builder, who chose to remain anonymous, expressed the growing anxiety: many thought these issues were limited to ‘south of the Fraser,’ but now extortion calls are infiltrating Vancouver’s Punjabi business sector, compelling entrepreneurs to conceal their identities and reduce their operations,” the report mentioned.

This issue is not just a localized concern; it signifies the infiltration of organized crime into Canada’s open society. Transnational networks, often linked to entities like the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, which has been labeled a terrorist organization by the Canadian government, are operating without fear of repercussions.

“These criminals take advantage of diaspora connections, utilize cryptocurrency for untraceable transactions, and resort to gun violence when their demands are unmet. The consequence? A dramatic rise in extortion incidents, with hundreds reported in British Columbia in recent years and spikes exceeding 200 percent in some regions since the mid-2010s. Similar issues are also affecting Brampton, Edmonton, and Toronto, where Punjabi and South Asian business owners face analogous threats,” it noted.

“Canada’s image as a safe and welcoming country is deteriorating. Successful immigrants who came here to build new lives and contribute to the economy through construction, real estate, and small businesses are now either leaving cities or scaling back their ambitions due to fear. Projects are delayed, economic activity is hindered, and entire communities are living under a veil of intimidation. When law-abiding citizens are compelled to erase their public presence to avoid victimization, it signals a profound failure,” the report asserted.

The report emphasized the urgent need for decisive measures to prevent “more lives, livelihoods, and the very essence of the Canadian dream from being jeopardized.”