Manav Singh Heer, 20, pleaded guilty in the Court of King’s Bench to extortion, arson, conspiracy and using an imitation firearm. He was part of a criminal syndicate to extort money from a dozen residential developers and their companies in Edmonton. Heer, 19 when he was busted, was one of five adults and a youth charged with carrying out the plots. Heer was arrested outside an apartment project on Jan. 29, 2024, after police observed him and his crew buying a jerry can and filling it with gas. Boss Maninder Singh Dhaliwal left Edmonton on July 31, 2023 and directed the arsons from the UAE. Cops are still seeking his extradition. Dhaliwal paid from $1,500 to $2,000 for each arson. Heer also admitted to a separate count of dangerous driving for a crash during the crime spree that permanently altered the life of a seven-year-old child. That child suffered severe brain damage and will likely require care for the rest of his life.
An extortion scheme that targeted Punjabi homebuilders in Edmonton was linked to the Brothers Keepers. The Project Gaslight investigation revealed Harpreet Uppal — the man killed alongside his 11-year-old son in a 2023 shooting — was part of the extortion plot. Uppal was a member of Brothers Keepers. He was also a “close associate” of Maninder Dhaliwal, the man accused of orchestrating extortions and arsons. Among those busted was Divnoor Singh Asht, 19. He revealed Maninder Dhaliwal and Harpreet Uppal were the ringleaders. Asht was sentenced to 4½ years in prison. Calls, recorded from the jail, revealed Asht discussing getting money from one of the homebuilders being targeted. Gurkaran Singh, Manav Heer, Parminder Singh and a 17-year-old are still before the courts.
 Harpreet Uppal |
 Maninder Dhaliwal |
Dhaliwal was arrested in the United Arab Emirates late last year with an extradition request to send him back to Canada pending. Uppal, 41, was killed at a south Edmonton gas station on the afternoon of Nov. 10, 2023 with his son being collateral damage. Nobody has been charged. Before Uppal was killed, he was involved in schemes where Edmonton developers received calls and messages demanding large sums of money.
If they didn’t pay, their properties went up in flames. In some cases, there was gunfire outside their own homes. Arsons at homes owned by three builders targeted in October and November of 2023 caused $4 million of damage.
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