On Jan. 21, 2025, Alberta Crown Prosecution Service filed an indictment. Criminal charges resulting from EPS’ Project Gaslight will proceed to trial at the Alberta Court of King’s Bench.
In late 2024, Maninder Singh Dhaliwal, 35, was arrested in the United Arab Emirates on separate criminal charges. The EPS has applied for the extradition to Alberta of Dhaliwal, who is believed to be the leader of the criminal organization responsible for the series of extortions.
Dhaliwal, as well as the six people arrested in Edmonton on July 25, 2024 – female Jashandeep Kaur, 20, and males Gurkaran Singh, 20, Manav Heer, 19, Parminder Singh, 21, Divnoor Asht, 19 and a male who was 17 at the time of the offences – are facing a total of 54 charges. The charges include extortion, arson, intentionally discharging a firearm, break and enter, assault with a weapon, as well as a number of charges linked to committing an offence for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with a criminal organization.
“This investigation has been a massive effort on the part of EPS investigators, with never-before seen complexities involving international coordination, and we are very pleased to see it conclude with the request for the extradition of Dhaliwal,” says Inspector Duane Hunter, with the EPS Organized Crime Branch. “This outcome shows criminals that international borders will not protect them, and we will not tolerate this kind of violence in our community, no matter where it originates from.”
Edmonton police investigated a total of 40 incidents related to the extortion series. No new incidents have been reported since the last arson occurred on July 26, 2024.