Kandola Campaign Calls for Immediate Action on Extortion and Community Safety

News Release

Kandola Campaign Calls for Immediate Action on Extortion and Community Safety

Edmonton. AB – October 14, 2025

Across Canada, members of the South Asian community have been living under an escalating climate of fear. Extortion calls, violent threats, and organized intimidation have shaken families and businesses, many of whom have been forced to operate in silence. What began as scattered reports has grown into a clear and dangerous pattern of organized criminal activity, rising to the level of domestic terrorism.

In a significant and necessary step, the Government of Canada has listed this activity as a terrorist entity. This designation acknowledges the real and targeted threat posed by these activities: including extortion, intimidation, and violence and equips law enforcement with stronger tools to protect the public.

This announcement follows months of growing concern within the community. South Asian business owners especially in cities like Edmonton, Surrey, Brampton, and Calgary have reported extortion attempts and coordinated intimidation tactics, often involving violent threats or demands for payment under threat of harm. These acts are not isolated crimes; they constitute terroristic behavior designed to intimidate and control communities. Many victims have felt abandoned, fearing retaliation if they come forward.

I personally reached out to the City of Edmonton, including multiple Councillors and the Mayor, to raise these serious concerns directly and urge immediate action. Those appeals went unanswered. The silence from municipal leadership, in the face of clear danger, is unacceptable.

Edmonton’s South Asian community has deep roots in this city. Small business owners from truckers to convenience stores to restaurants have built vibrant, thriving neighbourhoods through hard work and resilience. But today, many of those same families are living in fear, checking over their shoulders, installing security cameras, and feeling unsafe in spaces they helped build.

This is not just a law enforcement issue. It is a public safety, community trust, and social cohesion issue. When fear takes hold of one community, it undermines the safety of everyone.

Call for Action
To effectively confront this escalating threat, it is imperative to establish a dedicated intraprovincial multiple agency extortion task force without delay. This task force must be fully resourced, staffed with highly trained investigators, and empowered with the authority and tools needed to swiftly dismantle criminal networks, prevent further attacks, and protect vulnerable community members. Recognizing extortion and intimidation as terrorist activities underscores the severity of these acts and affirms that they will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

The task force must also operate with transparency, accountability, and direct engagement with affected communities, ensuring that victims receive immediate support and guidance, while sending a clear message to perpetrators that intimidation, threats, and violence will be met with

swift and decisive action. Failure to act leaves families, businesses, and neighborhoods at risk, while decisive action restores public safety, trust, and confidence in our institutions.