Six more people are facing numerous charges in an ongoing investigation related to the ongoing arson extortion series that has plagued the south Asian community in Edmonton.
A total of 40 incidents are currently being investigated by the Edmonton Police Service, with the most recent being in the Cavanaugh neighborhood on Friday morning, which resulted in a fire at an apartment building.
The EPS has laid charges in 26 of the 40 reported incidents related to the extortion series.
Police arrested four men, one male youth and one female related to the case following six search warrants executed in southeast Edmonton. In total, 54 charges have been laid. Acting Inspector Dave Paton spoke with the media today about the arrests:
A Canada-wide warrant has been issued for what police believe to be the leader of the criminal organization and responsible for the extortions. Canada-wide warrants have been issued for Maninder Dhaliwal, 34. Police are unaware of his location but are working with federal law enforcement partners to locate him. Officers believe he may have changed his appearance since the below picture was taken.
Police believe the leader has been running the group from overseas — from India — and is affiliated with the Brother’s Keepers gang in B.C.’s Lower Mainland and is linked to the scheme of extorting money, resulting in arsons and shootings.
Acting Insp. David Paton with the EPS organized crime branch spoke on the magnitude of the investigation :
“From the standpoint of sheer volume of information our investigators reviewed, this was likely one of the largest investigations in the history of the EPS, resulting in substantial charges for all accused,” says Acting Inspector David Paton, with the EPS Organized Crime Branch. “We believe that the individuals identified today represent the core members of this criminal network; however, we know Dhaliwal is actively recruiting other young people and we want parents, specifically from the South Asian community, to be aware and to have conversations with their young adults about the extortions and arsons that have been taking place.”
Police are asking anyone who has paid money in this extortion scheme to come forward. They are also asking parent in the south east Asian community to be aware of what their children are up to. According to Acting Inspector Dave Paton, the group seeks out young adults to carry out their dirty work:
Anyone who has information about Dhaliwal’s whereabouts is asked to contact police immediately at projectgaslight@edmontonpolice.ca or 780-391-4279. Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.p3tips.com/250.
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