WINNIPEG, MB, Feb. 20, 2026 /CNW/ - For too many Canadian individuals and businesses, extortion is a reality of everyday life – one that brings fear, intimidation and harm to communities and families alike and that undermines Canadians' sense of safety. These crimes can be carried out by organized networks operating across borders and using digital platforms. That's why coordinated action between governments, law enforcement, and financial institutions is essential and at the heart of today's announcement.

To better protect Canadians, the Honourable Ruby Sahota, Secretary of State for Combatting Crime, joined by the Honourable Kevin Lamoureux, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg North, and the Honourable Terry Duguid, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South, re-iterated new measures to strengthen Canada's ability to detect, disrupt, and prevent extortion across Canada, especially in the most affected areas. By improving how financial intelligence is collected and shared, law enforcement will be better equipped to trace criminal networks, support investigations, and hold those responsible accountable.

The Government of Canada is prioritizing efforts, mobilizing the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) to help combat extortion and support law enforcement investigations. Key measures include:

• Prioritizing financial intelligence resources to tackle extortion: FINTRAC will surge resources to combat extortion. This will enable law enforcement to receive more timely and relevant financial intelligence to identify criminal networks and support investigations.
• Launching the Countering Extortion Partnership with financial institutions, government, and law enforcement: FINTRAC will work closely with Canadian banks, credit unions, and financial service providers of virtual assets, including cryptocurrencies, alongside partners such as the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and local police, where applicable to enhance information sharing and share best practices to fight extortion.
• Assigning financial intelligence experts to support police: FINTRAC will assign dedicated liaison officers to work directly with local law enforcement in the most affected areas. These officers will provide specialized financial intelligence expertise, strengthen information sharing, and ensure financial intelligence is supporting enforcement efforts, investigations, and prosecutions.
• Providing financial institutions with clear guidance on how to detect extortion transactions: FINTRAC will issue a Targeted Indicator Profile or 'TIP', which will give practical guidance to help financial institutions recognize patterns and behaviours commonly associated with extortion. This will help ensure suspicious transactions are reported quickly and accurately.
• Publishing intelligence on how criminals move and hide extortion money: FINTRAC will publish strategic intelligence detailing how criminals launder extortion proceeds, including indicators and typologies to aid in its detection.

Together, these measures will support the ongoing efforts by federal, provincial, and municipal governments and law enforcement to combat criminal extortion activities that harm Canadians. These actions build on broader federal measures to combat organized crime and protect Canadians, including the creation of the new Canada Financial Crimes Agency, significant investments to strengthen RCMP investigative capacity, and enhanced coordination with law enforcement and intelligence partners.

Quotes

"Extortion is a serious crime that harms Canadians, businesses, and communities. Our government is strengthening financial intelligence and working closely with law enforcement and financial institutions to better detect and disrupt extortion, support investigations, and help protect Canadians."

-       The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Finance and National Revenue

"Extortion is affecting communities across the country and undermining Canadians' sense of safety. It is an economically motivated crime that relies on criminal networks laundering illicit proceeds across borders to fund operations and avoid detection. Our government is taking coordinated action with partners to combat this threat, giving police more tools to target extortion and cut off the money that fuels it, helping to protect Canadians and hold offenders accountable."

-       The Honourable Ruby Sahota, Secretary of State, Combatting Crime

"Too many families and small businesses in our communities have been living with fear because of extortion. By strengthening prevention, improving financial intelligence, and giving police stronger tools to disrupt the money behind these crimes, these measures will help protect Manitobans who are being targeted."

-       The Honourable Terry Duguid, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South

"Extortion is leaving families, business owners, and neighbourhoods across Winnipeg feeling vulnerable and afraid. Tougher laws, stronger intelligence sharing, and new tools to follow the money will help law enforcement disrupt criminal networks and make our city safer. We urge anyone targeted to come forward—report to your local police or Crime Stoppers. Your information can help stop these crimes and protect others."

-       The Honourable Kevin Lamoureux, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg North and Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

"Extortion doesn't just target individuals—it affects whole families, neighbourhoods, and communities. No one should feel afraid to run their business, open their door, or take part in daily life. In Manitoba and across Canada, efforts are being enhanced to stand up to this kind of intimidation and ensure people feel safe and supported. By bringing together all three levels of government, along with our law enforcement and civilian partners, we are better equipped to take action collaboratively to stop extortion and protect the wellbeing of every community across Manitoba."

-       The Honourable Matt Wiebe, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Manitoba 

Quick facts

• The Government of Canada recently convened summits on extortion in Surrey, B.C. and Brampton, Ontario, bringing together federal, provincial, and municipal leaders, along with law enforcement partners, including the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and RCMP, to strengthen coordination and advance integrated efforts to disrupt cross‑border criminal networks and protect local businesses and residents.
• Budget 2025 announced $1.7 billion in funding to strengthen the RCMP's response to a wide range of threats related to transnational organized crime, financial crimes, and money laundering, while enhancing its intelligence and national security capacity, fulfilling the government's commitment to hire 1,000 RCMP personnel. The Prime Minister has indicated that 150 of these new personnel will be dedicated to tackle financial crimes – targeting money laundering networks, organized crime, online fraud, and the recovery of illicit assets.
• Leveraging these investments in federal law enforcement capacity, Budget 2025 proposed to establish a new Financial Crimes Agency to be Canada's lead enforcement agency against financial crimes. This agency will be a best-in-class model that aims to unite the police and civilian expertise needed to investigate complex cases of money laundering, organized criminal activity, and online financial scams, and to recover illicit proceeds. The Minister of Finance and National Revenue is working with the Ministers of Justice and Public Safety to introduce legislation to stand up the new Financial Crimes Agency by spring of 2026.
• The Government of Canada is strengthening border security and expanding law‑enforcement tools to combat transnational organized crime and extortion through the Strong Borders Act (Bill C-2) and the Strengthening Canada's Immigration System and Borders Act (Bill C-12), while the proposed Bail and Sentencing Reform Act (Bill C-14) would make bail harder to obtain and impose tougher sentences for extortion-related offences.
• Businesses with anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing (AML/ATF) obligations are on the front lines of the fight against money laundering, terrorist financing, and sanctions evasion. Bill C-12 proposes comprehensive reforms to strengthen AML/ATF supervision, compliance, and enforcement, including by increasing AML/ATF civil penalties by forty times, and criminal fines by ten times, their current amount.
• Since 2019, the government has invested close to $379 million in combatting financial crimes. These investments have strengthened supervision and financial intelligence functions at FINTRAC, increased resources and tools to support financial crime investigations, and enhanced Canada's ability to combat trade-based financial crime.
• To support community safety and give young people positive pathways, Manitoba has received $23 million over five years (2023–2028) through the Initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence (ITAAGGV). Winnipeg has also received $4.5 million through the $250 million Building Safer Communities Fund (BSCF), which helps municipalities deliver local initiatives that prevent gun and gang violence.
• To strengthen border management and enforcement capacity Budget 2025 provides funding for 1,000 new CBSA officers across frontline and operational functions. This investment boosts the CBSA's ability to detect, disrupt, and deter illegal activity, including the removal of foreign nationals who may be subject to removal due to criminality.
• To further disrupt organized crime, several transnational criminal organizations, including major cartels and the Bishnoi Gang, are now listed as terrorist entities under the Criminal Code. Listing is an important tool that supports criminal investigations and strengthens the RCMP's ability to prevent and disrupt terrorist activity in Canada.

Associated links

• Letter from the Minister of Finance and National Revenue to the Director and Chief Executive Officer of FINTRAC
• FINTRAC Backgrounder: Targeted Indicator Profiles
• FINTRAC Backgrounder: Dedicated Liaison Officers
• FINTRAC Backgrounder: Countering Extortion Partnership
• Budget 2025: Canada Strong

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SOURCE Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada