Ottawa, March 20: The Royal Canadian Mounted Police has confirmed that current criminal investigations do not show any links between foreign governments and clandestine activities or transnational repression within Canada. Commissioner Mike Duheme stated during a recent interview with CTV News that the evidence presently available to the force fails to connect ongoing files to any external state entities.
This update represents a notable shift in the official stance regarding foreign interference. Duheme affirmed that in the files involving transnational repression, the RCMP is not seeing any connection right now with any foreign entity based on the criminal information and investigations currently underway. He further maintained that while identifying the specific foreign actors behind such activities can be difficult, the current data does not support the previous allegations of state-sponsored intimidation.
The Commissioner also addressed the perceived influence of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang on Canadian soil, suggesting a more complex reality than previously reported. He asserted that some individuals might be adopting the Bishnoi name as copycats, operating without a direct functional link to the actual criminal organization. This statement follows a period of heightened concern regarding the network’s involvement in extortion and violence across the country.
These comments stand in contrast to statements made in October 2024, when the RCMP suggested there was evidence of a campaign directed by high-level officials. Duheme declared that those earlier remarks were strictly based on the specific criminal investigations active at that time. The change in rhetoric coincides with a diplomatic reset between Canada and India, marked by the appointment of new high commissioners and a recent visit to New Delhi by Prime Minister Mark Carney.
