Three men have been arrested and charged in Abbotsford with conspiracy to commit murder following an investigation related to the ongoing Lower Mainland gang conflict.
Abbotsford Police Chief Colin Watson, speaking at a press conference on Friday (Feb. 23), said the department’s drug enforcement team began an investigation in late 2022 into two Abbotsford men – Anmol Sandhu and Navdeep Dhaliwal, both 26.
He said several search warrants were then executed in Abbotsford and Surrey in relation to drug-related crimes.
Watson said further evidence emerged that led to the major crime unit beginning a separate investigation – dubbed Project High Table – that focused on people who were believed to be conspiring to kill rival gang members.
“This was a lengthy and very complex investigation. Our investigators learned that the accused parties were utilizing sophisticated techniques in an attempt to subvert police detection, while planning acts of violence within our community,” Watson said.
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He said police learned that a Surrey man, Gavinder Siekham, 34, was allegedly working with Sandhu and Dhaliwal in the murder plot.
All three men were arrested on Wednesday (Feb. 21) and have now each been charged with two counts each of conspiracy to commit murder. Sandhu and Dhaliwal have also been charged with drug offences.
Staff Sgt. Alex Wood of the Abbotsford Police Department’s criminal investigative branch, said because the matter is now before the courts and the investigations are ongoing, few details can be released.
APD spokesperson Const. Art Stele said he did not know whether the alleged murder plot was aimed at one person or more.
“We did receive information that the three individuals named … were in the process of carrying out – or planning – hits or murders to rival gang members,” he said.
Stele said he could not conclusively provide the specific names of the rival gangs or to which group(s) the three arrested men are linked.
“We can’t disclose (that) as investigations into these gangs are potentially still ongoing and we do not want to tarnish or impede any work being done currently,” he said.
Stele said he also cannot reveal the specific “sophisticated techniques” used by the men to ward off police but he said with improved technology, “a lot of things are going digital.”
“There are advancements in physical components that can be utilized,” he said.
All three men remain in custody at this time.
