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Brothers Keepers (gang)

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Brothers Keepers
Founded2017
Founder
  • Gavinder "Gavin" Singh Grewal
  • Barinder "Shrek" Singh Dhaliwal
Founding locationGreater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Years active2017 – present
TerritoryControlled Territory:
Lower Mainland
Vancouver Island[1][2]
Ontario[3][4]
Alberta[5]
Areas of influence: Manitoba
Washington[6]
Minnesota
EthnicityMostly Punjabi Canadian
Membership
  • approx. 200 official members (2020)[7]
  • approx. 900 associates (2020)
ActivitiesDrug trafficking, contract killing, money laundering, illicit cigarette trade
AlliesIndependent Soldiers[8]
Hells Angels
Driftwood Crips
RivalsRed Scorpions
United Nations
Kang crime family

The Brothers Keepers is an organized crime group based in British Columbia, Canada that is engaged in organized crime across Canada and abroad. Originating in the Greater Vancouver area, the gang has expanded across Canada since its founding, and has established relationships with other transnational organized crime groups.

History

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Origins

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The Brothers Keepers were founded in 2017 by Gavinder Singh Grewal; with most of the gangs membership and leadership formerly made up of former Red Scorpions. Grewal took the gang's name from a line uttered by Wesley Snipes’ gangster character in the 1991 movie New Jack City.[9][10]

Assassination of Cetin Koç

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Founding Brothers Keepers member Harpreet Singh Majhu and Orosman Jr. Garcia-Arevalo were hired by Iranian drug lord Naji Sharifi Zindashti to take out Iranian-born Turkish drug lord Cetin Koç in Dubai. On May 4, 2016 Majhu and Garcia-Arevalo ambushed Koç as he was sitting in a vehicle in downtown Dubai. Koç was shot nine times with two silenced pistols and was killed instantly. Majhu and Garcia-Areval then boarded a flight out of Dubai, departing before they were named suspects by the Dubai Police Force. Both men were murdered shortly after the assassination. On May 11, 2016, Garcia-Arevalo was found dead in a blueberry field outside of Abbotsford. On June 10, 2016, Majhu was found dead in a burned out vehicle just outside of Agassiz, British Columbia.[11][12][13][14]

Death of Gavinder Singh Grewal

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Brothers Keepers founder Gavinder Singh Grewal was found dead in his North Vancouver penthouse by his brother Manbir on December 22, 2017.[15][16] The murder remains unsolved.[17]

In 2019, drill rapper Lolo Lanski (Ekene Anigbo) released a diss track titled "DEDMAN" in which he taunts the Brothers Keepers and the deceased Gavinder Grewal. One section of the song features excerpts from the 911 call made by Gavinder's brother Manbir after finding his body. Vancouver Police launched an investigation to discover how Anigbo acquired the 911 recording. Anigbo is associated with the Kang crime family, a historic enemy of the Brothers Keepers.[18][19]

The death of Gavinder Grewal caused tensions within the Brothers Keepers; resulting in several members leaving to form the Kang crime group shortly afterwards.[20]

Conflicts with other gangs

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The Brothers Keepers are currently in conflict with the United Nations gang and the Kang crime family.

On October 18, 2018, Mandeep Grewal, brother of Brothers Keepers founder Gavinder Grewal, was shot dead in front of a bank in Abbotsford.[21]

In April 2019, Daniel Grewal, the cousin of Gavinder Grewal, was shot in the leg in north Surrey. This resulted in a car chase that ended with police arresting five suspects. Since the arrests, four of the five men have since been murdered: Austin Grewal (April 26, 2019), Iqubal Grewal (September 16, 2020), Julian Moya Cardenas (January 7, 2022), and Kevin Allaraj along with his associate Jeevan Saepan (June 4, 2022).

On January 7, 2021, Anees Mohammed, a drug dealer associated with both the Brothers Keepers and Wolfpack Alliance, was murdered in a shooting in Richmond. Police suspect that the shooting was retaliation for the murder of Kang crime family member Gary Kang the day prior.[22]

On April 17, 2021, Brothers Keepers member Harb Singh Dhaliwal was gunned down outside Cardero's restaurant on April 17, 2021.[23] Harb Dhaliwal's brother Meninder and another man chased the assailant, stabbing him repeatedly.[24] The assailant, Francois Gauthier, was sentenced to life imprisonment in June 2022.[25] Meninder Dhaliwal would later be shot dead alongside Satindera Gill in Whistler in July 2022.[26]

Brothers Jaskeert Singh and Gurkeert Singh Kalkat were murdered only nine days apart in May 2021. Jaskeert was a prime suspect in the murder of United Nations gang member Karman Singh Grewal at Vancouver International Airport on May 10, 2021.[27][28][29]

On February 8, 2022, Brothers Keepers member Juvraj Jabal was shot. He succumbed to his injuries on the February 10th. His murder was suspected retaliation for the killing of United Nations gang member Jimi "Slice" Sandhu, who was shot at a villa in Phuket, Thailand earlier that month.[30] Former Canadian army corporal Matthew Dupre would be extradited to Thailand and convicted for the killing of Sandhu in 2024.[31][32]

On September 12, 2022 Brothers Keepers member Sameh Ali Mohammed was gunned down in Brampton, Ontario. Police speculated that Mohammed's killing was retaliation for the murder of United Nations gang member Arman Dhillon in Oakville the month prior.[33]

In January 2024, Brothers Keepers affiliated rapper T-Sav (Tyrel Nguyen) was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murders of Kang crime family member Randeep "Randy" Kang, and university student Jagvir Singh Malhi, whose death is suspected to be a case of mistaken identity.[34]

Barinder "Shrek" Dhaliwal, a leading figure in the Brothers Keepers and a known figure in British Columbia's organized crime landscape, was the target of an assassination attempt, on September 21, 2024, in Langley, B.C., when assailants opened fire on Dhaliwal.[35] He was alleged to have returned fire, resulting in the death of one of the attackers named Johnathan Hebrada-Walters, 38, who was from Edmonton and was known to police. Dhaliwal sustained injuries during the incident but survived. Authorities believe this event is linked to the ongoing gang conflicts in the region.

Allies

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The Brothers Keepers are currently allied to the Independent Soldiers and the Hells Angels 'Hardside' Chapter, located in Surrey. High ranking Brothers Keepers members Ty Quesnelle, Harb Dhaliwal, and Barinder Dhaliwal attended the funeral of Hells Angels member Suminder "Allie" Grewal after he was gunned down at a Starbucks drive-through in south Surrey on August 2, 2019.[36]

The Brothers Keepers also have a close relationship with the Driftwood Crips, based in Toronto's Jane and Finch neighborhood.[37] Several rappers associated with the Driftwood Crips have made references to the Brothers Keepers in various rap songs.[38]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ Bolan, Kim (2019-05-31). "Metro Vancouver gang expands to Vancouver Island". Times Colonist. Victoria. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  2. ^ Seymour, Bailey (2024-03-26). "Notorious Lower Mainland gang infiltrating Greater Victoria schools: Police". Victoria News. Victoria. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  3. ^ Bolan, Kim. "Surrey rapper, gang associate facing charges in Ontario". Vancouver Sun.
  4. ^ Bolan, Kim (2022-09-13). "B.C. Brothers Keepers gangster shot dead in Ontario". Vancouver Sun. Vancouver. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  5. ^ Sangha, Nav (15 November 2023). "Retribution likely for killing of father and son at Edmonton gas station, expert says". CTV News Edmonton.
  6. ^ Bolan, Kim (2024-08-18). "Surrey Brothers Keepers gangster released from U.S. prison, turned over to immigration". Vancouver Sun. Vancouver. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  7. ^ Bolan, Kim. "Task force targeting Brothers Keepers gang has reduced violence, police say". Vancouver Sun.
  8. ^ Bolan, Kim (2021-06-05). "Man shot to death in south Vancouver had been sued over alleged drug money". Vancouver Sun. Vancouver. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  9. ^ Bolan, Kim (2019-05-31). "Metro Vancouver gang expands to Vancouver Island". Times Colonist. Victoria. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  10. ^ Bolan, Kim (2018-01-27). "Feuding 'Brothers Keepers' escalate Metro's gang war". Vancouver Sun. Vancouver. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  11. ^ Bolan, Kim (2018-07-27). "Slain B.C. gangsters allegedly caught up in international murder plot". Vancouver Sun. Vancouver. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  12. ^ Henderson, Paul (2018-07-31). "Gangster involved in international hit found dead in B.C. blueberry field in 2016". Langley Advance Times. Langley. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  13. ^ "Slain Canadian gangsters caught up in international drug hit". National Post. 2018-08-02. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  14. ^ Duhaime, Christine (2023-12-09). "New twists in the alleged Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp. assisted murders in Vancouver". Duhaime's Anti-Money Laundering & Financial Crime News. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  15. ^ Eagland, Nick (2017-12-23). "IHIT investigating death of gang-linked Gavinder Grewal in North Vancouver". Vancouver Sun. Vancouver. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  16. ^ Hopes, Vikki (2017-12-27). "Man killed in North Vancouver had strong links to Abbotsford gang activity". The Abbotsford News. Abbotsford. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  17. ^ Hopes, Vikki (2018-06-06). "Surveillance footage captures suspects in Gavin Grewal murder". Surrey Now Leader. Surrey. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  18. ^ Bolan, Kim (2020-01-25). "Violent rap lyrics escalate gang tensions". Vancouver Sun. Vancouver. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  19. ^ "Dedman". genius.com. Genius. 2019-12-13. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  20. ^ Bolan, Kim (2019-06-25). "Brothers' battle: Guilty pleas in attack after split in Brothers Keepers gang". Vancouver Sun. Vancouver. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  21. ^ Bolan, Kim (2018-10-19). "Abbotsford murder victim was brother of gang boss slain last December". Vancouver Sun. Vancouver. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  22. ^ Bolan, Kim (2021-01-09). "Richmond murder is suspected retaliation for Kang hit, sources say". Vancouver Sun. Vancouver. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  23. ^ Bolan, Kim (2021-04-18). "Brothers Keepers gangster killed in Coal Harbour shooting". Vancouver Sun. Vancouver. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  24. ^ Steacy, Lisa (2022-08-17). "Gangster's execution outside of a busy Vancouver restaurant was carefully planned: court documents". CTV News. Vancouver. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  25. ^ Hopes, Vikki (2022-06-30). "Killer gets life sentence for shooting Abbotsford man in Coal Harbour". North Delta Reporter. Delta. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  26. ^ Mangione, Kendra (2022-07-25). "Murder charges in Whistler shooting; long-standing conflict between gangs involved, police say". CTV News. Vancouver. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  27. ^ Bolan, Kim (2021-05-14). "B.C.'s Lower Mainland gang war erupts with another public shooting". Vancouver Sun. Vancouver. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  28. ^ "Police renew call for info on 2021 gang killing in southwest Calgary". CTV News. Calgary. 2024-08-19. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  29. ^ Carrigg, David; Bolan, Kim (2021-05-10). "Gang member shot dead at Vancouver airport". Vancouver Sun. Vancouver. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  30. ^ Bolan, Kim (2022-02-10). "Surrey gang shooting now a homicide after one victim dies in hospital". Vancouver Sun. Vancouver. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  31. ^ "Killer of Canadian gangster in Phuket pleads guilty". Bangkok Post. Bangkok. 2024-07-03. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  32. ^ Bolan, Kim (2024-07-02). "Former Canadian soldier pleads guilty to murdering B.C. gangster Jimi Sandhu in Thailand". Vancouver Sun. Vancouver. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  33. ^ Bolan, Kim (2022-09-13). "B.C. Brothers Keepers gangster shot dead in Ontario". Vancouver Sun. Vancouver. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  34. ^ Proctor, Jason (2024-01-13). "Rapper handed life sentence for two B.C. murders in case featuring musical confession". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. British Columbia. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  35. ^ Bolan, Kim. "Langley shooting: Brothers Keeper gangster shot twice, suspected gunman killed". Vancouver Sun.
  36. ^ Bolan, Kim (2019-08-16). "Hells Angels pay respects to slain B.C. biker Suminder Grewal". Vancouver Sun. Vancouver. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  37. ^ Brown, Scott (2020-03-04). "Three boys, all 16, busted in Kelowna with drugs, guns and stacks of cash". Vancouver Sun. Vancouver. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  38. ^ Why G. and Wlatt Twotimes. Wlatt Season 1. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
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