Parliamentary Committee Notes: Indian Government Agents’ Involvement in Violent Criminal Activity in Canada
Issue
The RCMP has linked the Government of India with acts of violence on Canadian soil and ongoing foreign actor interference. This matter is being reviewed by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security.
Proposed Response
- On October 14, the RCMP took the unprecedented step of publicly disclosing the threat posed by Government of India actions that have come to light through various law enforcement operations, including ongoing RCMP investigations.
- Any involvement of a foreign government in acts of violence against Canadian citizens on Canadian soil—either directly or indirectly—poses an unacceptable threat to the safety of our citizens, and a violation of Canadian sovereignty.
- I can assure you that the Government of Canada takes any and all allegations of intimidation, harassment, or harmful targeting of communities or individuals in Canada seriously.
- The RCMP is continuing to work with at-risk communities and other domestic and international partners to detect, deter, and disrupt any form of foreign actor interference in Canada.
Background
As Canada’s federal police force, the RCMP is responsible for investigating incidents of foreign interference across Canada, including illegal activities relating to state-backed threats targeting communities and members of the public.
In February 2024, the RCMP created a multidisciplinary team to investigate and coordinate efforts to combat threats against members of the South Asian community living in Canada, particularly members of the pro-Khalistan movement. Through this national taskforce and other investigative efforts, the RCMP has obtained evidence that demonstrates four very serious issues:
- Violent extremism impacting both Canada and India;
- Linkages tying agents of the Government of India 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.
Investigations have further revealed that Indian diplomats and consular officials based in Canada leveraged their official positions to engage in clandestine activities, such as collecting information for the Government of India, either directly or through their proxies, along with other individuals who acted either voluntarily or through coercion.
Evidence also shows that a wide variety of entities in Canada and abroad – some of which were coerced and threatened into working for the Government of India -- have been used by agents of the Government of India to collect information. . Information collected for the Government of India is then used to target members of the South Asian community.
This evidence was presented directly to Government of India officials, along with a request for their cooperation in stemming the violence and that our law enforcement agencies work together to address these issues. Efforts to facilitate bilateral dialogue on this issue in the week preceding the October 14, 2024 press conference were unsuccessful, but the Government of Canada and the RCMP continue to make efforts to engage Indian officials.
In addition, there have been over a dozen credible and imminent threats to life which have led law enforcement to issue Duty to Warn notifications to members of the South Asian community, and specifically members of the pro-Khalistan movement.
Despite law enforcement action, the harm has continued, posing a serious threat to our public safety. The RCMP reached a point where it became imperative to inform the public about the very serious findings that have been uncovered through investigations.
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