The tensions between India and Canada have escalated after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posed allegations on a link between the killers of Khalistani leader Hardeep Nijjar and the Indian government, sparking a major geopolitical row.

After the allegations made waves across world politics, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) launched an investigation into Khalistani elements across the world, focusing on the rise of the separatist movement in parts of Canada.

Now, a recent NIA report shows that Khalistani gangsters and extremists have been spreading their agenda and expanding their empire by investing in yachts, movies and even the Canadian Premier League, premier soccer league in the country.

NIA filed a chargesheet earlier this year states that the Khalistani extremists have been generating money to fund their movement in foreign countries by running extortion rackets and by investing money into yachts, movies and the Canadian Premier League (CPL).

As mentioned in a report by the Hindustan Times, 13 transactions of Rs 5 lakh to Rs 60 lakh were made between the year 2019 to 2021, linked to jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi through the ‘hawala route’.

Further, the report states that money was funneled from India to fund bars and nightclubs in Thailand by pro-Khalistani gangsters and extremists. Money was collected from extortions and illegal liquor sales and sent to gangster Goldy Brar and Satbir Singh alias Sam in Canada.

As quoted by Hindustan Times, the NIA report said about Thailand transactions, “the money collected by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang through extortion, illegal liquor, arms smuggling business, etc was sent to one Manish Bhandari in Thailand through hawala by (gangster) Virendra Pratap alias Kala Rana, his father Joginder Singh and Rajkumar alias Raju Basodi for further investing in nightclubs and bars."

Earlier, it was alleged that Lawrence Bishnoi and his close aide Goldy Brar have been working closely with Khalistan groups in Canada, funneling money from India to Canada through illegal routes.

The relations between Canada and India have been strained for the past few days after Trudeau alleged that India had a hand in assassinating Hardeep Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and the chief of the separatist outfit Khalistani Tiger Force (KTF).

Source : DNA India