Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has formally asked Prime Minister Mark Carney and the federal cabinet to designate the Lawrence Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity under Canada’s Criminal Code. In a statement published on 15 July, Smith said the action would send a clear message that the gang is “not welcome” in Alberta or anywhere in Canada. Smith argued that a terrorist listing would give provincial and municipal police access to stronger investigative powers and financial-disruption tools, helping them dismantle what she described as a transnational criminal network involved in drug trafficking, extortion and targeted killings. Alberta’s Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis endorsed the request, saying the measure is necessary to protect Canadians and curb the gang’s cross-border operations. The Bishnoi network, led by Indian national Lawrence Bishnoi, has been linked to several high-profile crimes, including the 2022 assassination of Punjabi rapper Sidhu Moose Wala and last year’s killing of Indian politician Baba Siddique. British Columbia Premier David Eby made a similar appeal earlier this year, underscoring rising concern among multiple provinces about the gang’s activities within Canada’s South Asian communities and beyond.