The man accused of orchestrating a string of arsons connected to extortion cases targeting South Asian home builders in Edmonton has been arrested overseas.
Maninder Singh Dhaliwal was apprehended in the United Arab Emirates on separate charges in late 2024, Edmonton police announced Tuesday. An application has been filed to have Dhaliwal extradited to Alberta, said the news release.
Police allege Dhaliwal is the leader of the criminal organization responsible for the series of extortions. The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) investigated 40 related incidents, with the last one — an arson — occurring on July 26.
“This investigation has been a massive effort on the part of EPS investigators, with never-before-seen complexities involving international co-ordination,” Insp. Duane Hunter, with the EPS organized crime branch, said in a news release.
“We are very pleased to see it conclude with the request for the extradition of Dhaliwal.”
Dhaliwal’s extradition could be complicated by the absence of an extradition treaty between Canada and the UAE. A lack of such a treaty means there is no agreement in place that dictates how a person accused of a crime could be transferred from the UAE back to Canada to face trial.
Warrant issued in July
Police issued a Canada-wide warrant for Dhaliwal last July in connection with a rash of extortion incidents that destroyed new or under-construction homes and left the city’s South Asian community on edge.
It’s the latest in an ongoing investigation known as Project Gaslight, a probe into incidents targeting business owners in Edmonton, alleged to have been carried out by a group of local individuals under direction from India.
Police allege that Dhaliwal, 34, is responsible for orchestrating the crimes from abroad — recruiting people in Edmonton and paying them to deliver threats and light properties on fire when demands for money transfers went unmet.
As of last July, when Dhaliwal’s warrant was announced, Edmonton police were investigating 40 crimes related to the spree, including arsons, drive-by shootings and firearms incidents.
The investigation to date has already resulted in a string of arrests.
Last summer, Dhaliwal and six others: four young men, a 17-year-old boy and a 20-year-old woman, believed to have been involved in the scheme, were arrested and charged.
A total of 54 charges were laid against them including extortion, arson, intentionally discharging a firearm, break and enter, assault with a weapon, and charges linked to committing a crime for a criminal organization.
Charges against several suspects were also announced last January.
Caught in the act
Court documents recently obtained by CBC detail one of the arson incidents that damaged two homes under construction in northeast Edmonton more than two years ago.
The suspects were caught in the act, lighting two neighbouring homes on fire.
According to agreed statements of facts filed in the case against two of the suspects charged, the arsons were captured on surveillance cameras.
The property owner, a local developer, had been closely monitoring two of his build sites via security cameras after receiving extortion threats. The properties were adjacent construction sites just a few blocks from his home.
Just before 1:30 a.m. on Dec 19, the owner was watching the security cameras from his home when he saw an SUV pull up and four people emerge onto the street.
The group split into pairs and headed toward the construction sites, armed with jerry cans.
According to the court documents, gasoline was poured on the homes and set ablaze. The four individuals returned to the SUV and drove off.
The owner, who had driven over and was a short distance away, pursued the SUV as it drove off. He called 911 and police began tracking the SUV as it moved through the city.
The vehicle was eventually pulled over and all four were arrested. Melted jerry cans were recovered from the homes. Each properly sustained about $1,000 in damages but remained largely intact.
Lawyers for the five adults charged in July appeared in court Tuesday.
During Tuesday’s hearing, prosecutor Breena Smith described the file as “massive” and said the Crown’s disclosure of evidence against the co-accused to the defence lawyers includes more than 4,100 documents and 270 recordings.
The Crown is seeking a four-week preliminary hearing. The cases have been put over to Feb. 4.