The Bloc Québécois has introduced legislation that would give the federal government powers to blacklist criminal gangs in the same manner as terrorist organizations, allowing authorities to freeze and seize assets tied to organized crime.“The government’s strategy to combat organized crime is clearly inadequate,” said Bloc MP Rhéal Fortin (Riviere-du-Nord, Que.), sponsor of the bill. “We propose to allow law enforcement agencies to freeze or seize gang members’ assets if they are unable to prove they were not acquired through crime.”Blacklock's Reporter says Bill C-420, An Act To Amend The Criminal Code, would permit the Department of Public Safety to designate criminal organizations, making it illegal to knowingly deal with their property. Similar measures have applied to terrorist groups since 2002.“This bill gives police new tools,” Fortin told the House of Commons. “It is a strong message to organized crime both on our streets and at our borders.”Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc responded cautiously, saying, “We are always open to supporting good ideas.”Under the bill, a criminal organization would be defined as a group of three or more individuals whose main purpose or activity includes committing serious offences for financial gain.Organized crime in Canada is a multibillion-dollar enterprise, according to federal reports. A 2021 Public Report On Organized Crime In Canada estimated money laundering alone accounts for between $45 billion and $113 billion annually. Criminal groups operate in industries ranging from retail and trucking to construction and warehousing.The RCMP has identified over 2,000 criminal organizations across Canada, including Western drug traffickers, Eastern street gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs, and mafia networks in Montréal, Toronto, and Hamilton. Organized crime also infiltrates public institutions, with one in ten groups reported to have links to the public sector.A 2023 Public Report on Organized Crime highlighted that gangs are deeply entrenched in key transportation hubs, including airports and seaports, with violent hotspots in Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa, Toronto, and Montréal. “Serious and organized crime remains one of the preeminent threats to Canada’s security,” the report warned.The Bloc bill aims to counteract these threats by making it harder for criminal organizations to exploit legal loopholes and profit from their illicit activities.
