Canada has expelled six Indian diplomats from Canada after the RCMP accused the officials of being directly involved in homicides, extortions and other criminal acts of violence on Canadian soil.
The RCMP hosted a press conference Monday morning after India refused to drop diplomatic immunity, which prevented the officials from being interviewed by Canadian police.
“As India did not agree, and given the ongoing public safety concerns for Canadians, Canada served notices of expulsions to six diplomats and consular officials early this morning,” Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said in Ottawa Monday.
She said that, in response, India announced that it would withdraw those diplomats from Canada.
“To be clear, we’re not seeking diplomatic confrontation with India, but we will not sit quietly as agents of any country are linked to efforts to threaten, harass or even kill Canadians,” Joly said.
The RCMP said the acts of violence are directed primarily at members and supporters of the Khalistan separatist movement. Groups such as Sikhs for Justice are considered terrorist entities by the government of India.
“Investigations have 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; and other individuals who acted voluntarily or through coercion,” the RCMP said in a report.
The RCMP alleged that evidence shows a “wide variety of entities in Canada and abroad” have been used by agents of the Indian government to collect information.
“Some of these individuals and businesses were coerced and threatened into working for the Government of India,” the report said. “The information collected for the Government of India is then used to target members of the South Asian community.”
The RCMP further alleged that Government of India officials engaged in foreign interference by intimidating the Indian diaspora in Canada, utilizing Indian gangs such as the Lawrence Bishnoi gang in Canada to carry out homicides and other violent acts.
Police said since September of last year, they had a duty to warn at least a dozen individuals from the South Asian community that they were being targeted, some of whom were targeted multiple times.
At the press conference, RCMP said that approximately eight individuals have been arrested and charged in relation to homicides, and 22 individuals have been arrested and charged. However, police wouldn’t say how many were connected to the Indian government.
RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme said police had tried to contact their Indian counterparts without success. He said police gave evidence to Indian officials “urging their cooperation” in stemming the violence but were denied.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the alleged actions of those officials and the Indian government were “deeply unacceptable.”
“The actions that are alleged to have taken place on Canadian soil are indeed a grave violation of our sovereignty and of Canada’s rule of law,” Trudeau said.“While attempts have been made by the RCMP and national security officials to work with the government of India and Indian law enforcement counterparts on this matter, they have been repeatedly refused.”
RCMP Assistant Commissioner Brigitte Gauvin said there is a “multidisciplinary” team comprised of “a number” of federal agencies with a focus on investigating and prosecuting both Khalistani violent extremism and alleged foreign interference by agents of the Indian government.
Gauvin said the issue requires a “whole-of-government approach ” to disrupt and mitigate the threat posed by foreign state actors.
Police said identities would not be publicly revealed as cases remain in the courts.
Gauvin said the alleged actions of the Indian government “without a doubt” violate both the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, as well as “Canada’s values as a society.”
“Indian diplomats and consular officials are here to protect the interests of their nationals that are based in Canada and their country’s national interests as well,” she said. “Not to be part of criminal activity or intimidation or coercion of these individuals. So we take that very seriously.”
Police ask any potential victims of the Indian government’s alleged foreign interference and intimidation to report the incident to local police. Individuals can also report to the RCMP National Security Information Network by phone at 1-800-420-5805 or online at rcmp.ca/report-it.
“We want to assure all Canadians that their safety and security is at the forefront of everything we do,” the RCMP said. “We urge the public and South Asian communities to remain calm and give law enforcement and Canadian officials time to continue discussions.”
