The man accused of orchestrating a series of arson attacks linked to extortion cases against South Asian homebuilders in Edmonton has been arrested overseas.
Maninder Singh Dhaliwal was arrested in the United Arab Emirates on separate charges in late 2024, Edmonton police announced Tuesday. A request has been made to extradite Dhaliwal to Alberta, according to the news release.
Police allege that Dhaliwal is the leader of the criminal organization responsible for the extortion series. The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) investigated 40 related incidents, the last of which, an arson, occurred on July 26.
“This investigation has involved a great effort on the part of EPS investigators, with never before seen complexities in terms of international coordination,” said Insp. Duane Hunter, of the EPS organized crime branch, in a statement from press.
“We are very pleased to conclude Dhaliwal’s extradition request.”
Dhaliwal’s extradition could be complicated by the absence of an extradition treaty between Canada and the United Arab Emirates. The lack of such a treaty means there is no agreement dictating how a person accused of a crime could be transferred from the United Arab Emirates to Canada for trial.
Order issued in July
Police issued a Canada-wide arrest warrant for Dhaliwal last July in connection with a series of extortion incidents that destroyed new or under-construction homes and left the city’s South Asian community in suspense.
It is the latest in an ongoing investigation known as Project Gaslight, an investigation into incidents targeting business owners in Edmonton, which were allegedly carried out by a group of local individuals at the direction of India.
Police allege Dhaliwal, 34, is responsible for orchestrating the crimes from abroad: recruiting people in Edmonton and paying them to make threats and set property on fire when demands for money transfers were not met.
Last July, when the warrant against Dhaliwal was announced, Edmonton police were investigating 40 crimes related to the spree, including arson, drive-by shootings and firearms incidents.
The investigation to date has already led to a number of arrests.
Last summer, Dhaliwal and six others – four youths, a 17-year-old boy and a 20-year-old woman – believed to have been involved in the plot, were arrested and charged.
They were charged with a total of 54 charges, including extortion, arson, intentional discharge of a firearm, home invasion, assault with a weapon and charges related to the commission of 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, setting fire to two neighboring houses.
According to agreed statements of facts filed in the case against two of the accused suspects, the arson attacks were captured on surveillance cameras.
The property’s owner, a local developer, had been closely monitoring two of his works 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 homeowner was watching his home’s security cameras when he saw a van pull up and four people walk out into the street.
The group divided into pairs and headed towards the works armed with drums.
According to court documents, gasoline was poured on the houses and set on fire. The four individuals returned to the truck and drove away.
The owner, who had approached and was a short distance away, pursued the SUV as it drove away. He called 911 and police began tracking the van as it moved through the city.
Finally the vehicle was stopped and the four were arrested. Melted drums were recovered from the homes. Each of them suffered about $1,000 worth of damage, but they remained largely intact.
Attorneys 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 defense lawyers includes more than 4,100 documents and 270 recordings.
The Crown is seeking a four-week preliminary hearing. The cases were postponed until February 4.
