Toronto/New Delhi, Dec 3 (NationPress) Canada is currently at a pivotal juncture. It faces the choice of viewing Khalistani extremism and Punjabi-Canadian gang violence as isolated issues or recognizing their growing interconnections, according to a report released on Wednesday.

It emphasized that improved border security, collaboration on financial intelligence with reliable allies, and a strict stance against the laundering of drug money through political or charitable organizations would represent significant initial actions.

“Canada hosts one of the largest Sikh diasporas globally, with nearly eight hundred thousand members. The vast majority are law-abiding individuals who have contributed to the nation through sectors like trucking, agriculture, construction, and entrepreneurship. Nonetheless, a small, aggressive faction within the Punjabi-Canadian community has, over the last two decades, become heavily involved with transnational organized crime,” stated Vikram Zutshi, author, cultural critic, and filmmaker, in an article for NDTV.

“The illicit profits from cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl trafficking are not only funding firearms and luxury vehicles; there is increasing evidence that these revenues are also financing pro-Khalistan demonstrations, referendums, and legal support for extremists. This damaging connection is well-known among Canadian law enforcement. Since 2007, over 200 gang-related murders in British Columbia have been linked to rival Punjabi-Canadian gangs vying for dominance in the lucrative cross-border drug market,” he continued.

According to law enforcement sources from both nations, a considerable portion of the cocaine and fentanyl entering Western Canada is now funneled through networks managed by specific Punjabi-Canadian organized crime factions.

“The more troubling assertion—voiced by Indian diplomats and echoed within some Canadian police circles—is that a portion of this illicit revenue is redirected to fund Khalistan separatist activities within the diaspora,” the report pointed out.

The findings indicated that the majority of Sikhs in Canada reject both violence and separatism. Influential community figures, including former British Columbia premier Ujjal Dosanjh and the World Sikh Organization of Canada, have consistently denounced the misuse of gurdwaras for political extremism and have called for more robust measures against gang recruitment of Sikh youth.

However, the issue persists, partly due to the hesitation of political parties in populous regions like Brampton and Surrey to address it directly.

“For the overwhelming majority of Canadian Sikhs who wish to work, nurture their families, and worship peacefully, dismantling this criminal-extremist connection is not merely a law enforcement priority; it is the only means to eliminate the blemish that a small minority has cast on the entire community,” the report concluded.