16 arrested in Calgary probe into South Asian extortion; all but one are out on bail

Of the 16 people that Calgary police have charged in extortion incidents against the city’s South Asian community, only one remains in custody; the rest have been released on bail.

None of the accused are Canadian citizens. Supt. Jeff Bell says the suspects are largely in the country on a mix of student or work visas. Together, they face a total of 56 charges.

Bell says police are making progress, but they still need the public’s help. To get it, they have released mugshots of 15 suspects in hopes of jogging the memories of anyone who might have interacted with them.

“What we need now is more information about these people, who they’re associating with, where they’re spending their time, whether they are working anywhere, or any other details that may seem small but could be very significant,” said Bell.

Bell says people have known the suspects under different aliases. In one case, he noted a roommate did not know the real name of one of the suspects until informed by police.

The release of the photos is a “relief” to the community, said Rishi Nagar, news director at Red FM, a South Asian radio station in Calgary.

“We have been demanding that there should be some pictures,” Nagar said. “[Without them,] I don’t know the person sitting by my side in a bus is the person who has been charged or not — I don’t know.”

15 suspects back in community

Bell finds the release of the suspects into the community “concerning.”

It’s up to the Crown to argue against a charged person’s release. Bell also noted that bail falls under federal jurisdiction. Next month, new federal legislation will kick in that aims to toughen bail and sentencing laws.

Justice studies professor Doug King said he understands granting release for lesser charges, like possession of a firearm. But it’s more of a head-scratcher as to why those with serious charges like extortion or discharging a firearm might get bail.

“That’s harder for me to understand,” said King, who works at Mount Royal University. “Bottom line, it just doesn’t look good.”

King admits he might be cynical, but he worries any number of the suspects might be apt to leave the country, hindering the chance of justice for those affected.

Bell couldn’t speak to the suspects’ bail conditions, except to say police take those seriously. And he can’t weigh in on any efforts to deport the suspects — that’s up to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA.)

On Thursday, CBSA updated its stats showing how many people accused of extortion have been removed from the country. The agency says that as of June 18, 138 immigration investigations have been opened on the Prairies. Thirty-seven removal orders have been issued, with 18 people actually removed from Canada.

Police say efforts are working

Over the last year, extortion against South Asian communities has become a top issue for the Calgary Police Service, after proliferating in other cities, like Vancouver and the Greater Toronto Area.

As for how it works, experts have said individuals responsible are often recruited by criminal networks. They will target South Asians with violence or the threat of it in order to blackmail them for money. Police in cities including Calgary have seen suspects open fire on homes or vehicles.

Calgary police have two ongoing operations focused on extortion: Orion, which is the investigative side, and Outage, which includes an increased police presence in South Asian communities to build trust.

Bell says those efforts are working.

There have been 19 extortion-related shootings in the city since April 2025. Eighteen involved shootings at victims or their property, while one involved suspects shooting at each other.

Nine of those shootings happened in the first 60 days of this year, a “disproportionate” number, said Bell. The following 100 days of 2026 saw two shootings.

“So that tells us right there that we’ve driven down the amount of violence that’s happening,” said Bell.