For years, BC's Lower Mainland has been locked in a deadly gang conflict, with rival groups battling for control over the region’s lucrative drug trade and criminal networks.
Among these gangs was the Kang Crime Group, a gang led by Sameet, Gary, and Randeep Kang, all of whom played key roles in Metro Vancouver’s criminal underworld.
Originally associated with the Brothers Keepers, the Kang Crime Group
emerged as a splinter faction, intensifying an already volatile gang war.
Their feud with former allies led to a series of targeted assassinations, high-profile shootings, and large-scale drug trafficking operations spanning BC and Alberta.
But with Sameet Kang imprisoned, Randeep Kang killed in 2017, and Gary Kang fatally shot in 2021, the gang’s power structure has crumbled.
Meanwhile, law enforcement has ramped up crackdowns, including the 2024 sentencing of Brothers Keepers enforcer Amandeep Singh Kang to 11 years in prison for leading a major drug network.
So, is the war really over? Or is another power shift on the horizon?
In this report, we’ll break down:
🔴 The origins of the Kang Crime Group—how they split from the Brothers Keepers
🔴 Key players, their rise to power, and the assassinations that changed the gang war
🔴 The group’s criminal operations, from fentanyl and cocaine trafficking to money laundering
🔴 Law enforcement crackdowns—what happened, and what it means for organized crime in BC
The Kang Crime Group may be weakened, but organized crime in British Columbia continues to evolve.
Let’s get into it.
Origins of the Kang Crime Group: Splintering from the Brothers Keepers
The Brothers Keepers, a gang composed primarily of young Indo-Canadian men, rose to prominence in the late 2010s, filling a power vacuum left by the decline of older organized crime groups. The Kang brothers—Sameet, Gary, and Randeep Kang—were initially connected to this organization.
However, tensions escalated within the gang’s ranks, leading to a division that would ultimately spark violent retaliation and turf wars across Metro Vancouver.
By 2017, the rift had deepened, and the Kang Crime Group began operating independently, competing with the Brothers Keepers and other gangs like the Red Scorpions and the Wolf Pack Alliance for control over drug trafficking routes and organized crime rackets in BC and Alberta.
Early Signs of a Deadly Conflict
The consequences of this split were immediate and violent. On October 27, 2017, Randeep Kang was shot and killed outside his parents' home in Surrey, an attack widely believed to be linked to the ongoing gang war.
The conflict between the Kang Crime Group and the Brothers Keepers escalated into a violent feud.
Notable Incidents:
December 2017: Gavinder "Gavin" Singh Grewal, founder of the Brothers Keepers, was found shot dead in his North Vancouver penthouse.
October 2018: Mandeep Grewal, brother of Gavinder Grewal, was fatally shot in front of a bank in Abbotsford.
January 2021: Gary Kang, a high-profile member of the Kang Crime Group, was gunned down inside his parents' South Surrey home.
April 2021: Harpreet "Harb" Singh Dhaliwal, a member of the Brothers Keepers, was shot dead outside a restaurant in Vancouver.
July 2022: Meninder Dhaliwal, a prominent Brothers Keepers member, was killed alongside his friend in a shooting in Whistler.
September 2022: Sameh Ali Mohammed, associated with the Brothers Keepers, was gunned down in Brampton, Ontario, in a suspected retaliation for earlier killings.
These incidents underscore the intense and ongoing nature of the conflict between the Kang Crime Group and the Brothers Keepers, contributing to a broader pattern of gang-related violence in the region.
Why the Split Happened
While exact reasons for the internal conflict remain murky, several key factors contributed to the break between the Kang Crime Group and the Brothers Keepers:
✔️ Power Struggles – As the Brothers Keepers gained influence, internal rivalries emerged over leadership, drug distribution, and financial control.
✔️ Betrayals and Shifting Allegiances – Members switched sides, leading to distrust and violent retribution among former allies.
✔️ Lucrative Drug Markets – The drug trade in BC and Alberta was worth millions, making control over trafficking routes a high-stakes battleground.
Criminal Activities of the Kang Crime Group: A Detailed Breakdown
As the Kang Crime Group and the Brothers Keepers descended into open warfare, their operations expanded beyond street-level violence into a sophisticated network of organized crime.
Their activities spanned across BC, Alberta, and beyond, involving drug trafficking, contract killings, money laundering, firearms offenses, and extortion.
1. Drug Trafficking: The Backbone of the Organization
✔️ Key Drugs Sold: Cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, MDMA
✔️ Distribution Network: Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, Alberta, and suspected international ties
✔️ Revenue Estimate: Millions of dollars in annual drug profits
How the Drug Business Worked
The Kang Crime Group operated as a wholesale supplier, funneling large quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin through a network of smaller street-level dealers.
Their primary goal was territorial control, which led to violent conflicts with the Brothers Keepers over key trafficking routes.
The Kang Group's supply chain was linked to international suppliers, with law enforcement suspecting that their drugs were sourced from Mexico via cartel networks and smuggled through BC’s ports or underground distribution channels.
Their biggest moneymaker was fentanyl, a synthetic opioid responsible for thousands of overdose deaths across Canada.
Police Operations and Major Seizures
✔️ In 2018, a joint task force seized over 120 kilograms of illicit drugs, including fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin, in an operation linked to Kang-affiliated traffickers.
✔️ In 2020, CFSEU-BC intercepted a shipment of cocaine worth millions, disrupting a Kang-controlled distribution ring.
✔️ In 2023, BC law enforcement arrested multiple mid-level drug distributors, weakening the gang’s street-level control.
2. Retaliation Killings & Targeted Assassinations
October 27, 2017: Randeep Kang was shot and killed outside his Surrey home, marking one of the first major assassinations in the gang war.
December 2017: Gavinder “Gavin” Grewal, founder of the Brothers Keepers, was found executed inside his penthouse in North Vancouver.
January 6, 2021: Gary Kang was shot multiple times inside his South Surrey home, in what authorities called a highly organized, targeted hit.
July 24, 2022: Meninder Dhaliwal, a high-ranking Brothers Keepers member, was gunned down in Whistler, marking another public execution in a high-tourist area.
How the Hits Were Carried Out
✔️ Stolen Vehicles: Gunmen often used stolen cars with fake plates, ditching them after the hit to avoid tracking.
✔️ Encrypted Messaging Apps: Members coordinated attacks using secure apps like WhatsApp and Signal to avoid wiretaps.
✔️ Inside Information: Hit squads relied on gang insiders, often flipping low-level members into informants who betrayed their rivals.
3. Money Laundering and Financial Crimes
✔️ Key Activity: Laundering millions in drug profits through real estate, luxury goods, and underground banking
✔️ Methods Used:
Real estate investments to store illicit cash
Luxury car resales to disguise transactions
High-stakes casino play to launder drug money
How the Kang Crime Group Moved Its Money
The Lower Mainland’s real estate market and BC’s casinos were major hubs for laundering illicit drug proceeds.
The Kang Crime Group and Brothers Keepers both exploited loopholes in casino regulations, frequently buying casino chips in cash, playing briefly, then cashing out as ‘clean’ winnings.
In 2023, the BC Civil Forfeiture Office took legal action against the family of slain Kang Crime Group members, seeking to seize:
✔️ A $100,000 diamond ring, allegedly purchased with drug money
✔️ Real estate assets linked to criminal enterprises
✔️ Luxury vehicles tied to financial fraud schemes
These actions were part of BC’s broader “anti-money laundering crackdown”, designed to disrupt criminal organizations' financial networks.
Firearms Trafficking and Gang Enforcement
Most of the guns in circulation among these gangs were illegally smuggled from the United States, primarily through underground trafficking rings operating out of Washington State and Alberta.
Criminal networks specializing in arms smuggling facilitated the movement of these weapons across the border, often concealing them in hidden compartments within vehicles before distributing them among gang members.
Firearms linked to Kang-affiliated members have been used in multiple high-profile shootings, including retaliatory gang hits and public assassinations. Among the weapons seized in law enforcement operations were:
Glock handguns with extended magazines, allowing for rapid, continuous fire in attacks.
AR-15 rifles, often modified and linked to multiple gangland shootings in Metro Vancouver.
Handguns modified for automatic fire, making them especially lethal in targeted executions.
The Kang Crime Group and the Brothers Keepers stockpiled weapons, preparing for violent conflicts with their rivals. Police surveillance and intelligence gathering repeatedly confirmed that these groups had access to high-powered firearms, allowing them to carry out deadly attacks with precision and efficiency.
Extortion and Street-Level Control
The group's enforcement strategy focused on forcing smaller drug dealers to pay protection fees, allowing them to operate within gang-controlled territories.
If dealers refused to comply, they were met with violent repercussions, ranging from severe beatings to execution-style killings.
Businesses were also targeted through protection rackets, where owners were pressured into laundering gang money or making regular cash payments to avoid violent retaliation.
Those who resisted or attempted to cut ties with the organization often faced arson attacks, property destruction, or direct physical threats.
Some of the common enforcement tactics used by the Kang Crime Group included:
Public executions or severe beatings to serve as warnings to others.
Firebombings of vehicles and businesses linked to rival dealers or those who refused to cooperate.
Home invasions and kidnappings, using fear as a means to enforce gang rule.
The Fall of the Kang Crime Group
By 2024, the Kang Crime Group’s power structure had largely collapsed, due to both internal losses and intensified police operations.
The assassinations of Randeep and Gary Kang eliminated two of the group’s most high-profile members, while the imprisonment of Sameet Kang severed key leadership ties.
At the same time, law enforcement launched major crackdowns targeting the gang’s financial assets, weapons stockpiles, and drug networks.
Coordinated police efforts, including those led by the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia (CFSEU-BC), resulted in dozens of arrests, weapons seizures, and the dismantling of multiple drug operations.
While these actions crippled the Kang Crime Group, they did not eradicate organized crime in Metro Vancouver. The gang’s downfall created a power vacuum, with new alliances and rivalries emerging as different criminal factions sought to fill the void left by their decline.
Final Thoughts On The Kang Crime Group Gang
With major players either dead or imprisoned, the power dynamics in BC’s underworld continue to shift — but the legacy of the Kang Crime Group and its deadly feud with the Brothers Keepers still shapes the gang landscape in Metro Vancouver today.
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