Calgary police have charged five men in connection with an elaborate extortion scheme after an Edmonton man was allegedly kidnapped and driven to a residence in northeast Calgary in an apparent attempt to extort the occupants.
Police say that on the evening of May 6, a man was kidnapped from a residence in Edmonton by four men, threatened at gunpoint and forced into a vehicle. Investigators say the man was then driven to a friend's home in Calgary's Cityscape community, where additional suspects were waiting as part of a plot to extort the occupants of the home.
The suspects attempted to force the victim to lure his friend, who was the intended extortion target, out of his residence. The victim refused and was assaulted again.
According to police, two people inside the Cityscape residence attempted to leave their home while the suspects remained outside. The pair fled back inside after being threatened with firearms and then contacted police.
Shortly after, officers located a vehicle believed to be connected to the incident and conducted a traffic stop near Metis Trail and 104 Avenue N.E. Two men were arrested during the traffic stop for their involvement in the Cityscape incident.
Police say the remaining suspects drove the kidnapping victim back to Edmonton early the next morning and released him near his home. The victim then reported the kidnapping to police.
On May 12, investigators arrested two additional suspects during a traffic stop in the 600 block of Martindale Boulevard N.E. Investigators also seized a privately-manufactured firearm as part of the investigation.
A fifth suspect is wanted on warrants and police believe additional suspects were also involved.
Charges laid
Taranveer Singh, 24, and Daksh Gautam, 25, are each charged with two counts of pointing a firearm, unauthorized possession of a firearm in a motor vehicle, kidnapping with a firearm, unlawful confinement, assault with a weapon and assault.
Akashdeep Singh, 18, and Pardeep Singh, 24, of Calgary, are each charged with kidnapping with a firearm, pointing a firearm, unlawful confinement, assault with a weapon and assault. All four men are Calgary residents.
Police are also seeking information as to the whereabouts of 29-year-old Gagandeep Singh of Calgary, who is wanted on warrants for several charges including kidnapping with a firearm and unlawful confinement. Gagandeep Singh has tattoos of a woman on his right forearm and a blue and red eagle on his left forearm. He has connections to Calgary, Ontario and British Columbia.
Police say the incident is an escalation of ongoing extortion-related violence targeting the city's South Asian community. There have been 45 extortion-related incidents in Calgary since April 2025.
