Arrests made in Surrey extortion investigation: RCMP
Posted December 29, 2023 1:47 pm.
The Surrey RCMP says two men have been arrested in connection with an ongoing investigation into the extortion of Lower Mainland businesses.
Mounties explain the pair was arrested in Cloverdale on Thursday. Both suspects, who are in their 20s, have since been released.
In November, the Surrey RCMP and other police jurisdictions said they had gotten reports from local business owners who said they had been targeted by extortion attempts.
The Abbotsford Police Department explained that letters sent to these businesses demanded they pay the sender in exchange for “protection from future violence.”
Suspect vehicle
As the investigation continues, the RCMP is hoping the public can help provide information about a “vehicle of interest” in this case. Police say the vehicle is believed to have been used in an incident just after midnight on Dec. 4 in White Rock, during which someone shot at a home along Marine Drive near Nichol Road.
The car is a white Audi e-tron, between the years 2019 and 2023.
Meanwhile, the RCMP is urging any business owners who receive threats — directly or indirectly — to contact police. Additionally, anyone who is targeted in an extortion attempt is being told by police to not engage with the suspect and not send any money.
Investigators are asking anyone with information about the recent extortion threats or the vehicle aforementioned to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS and quote file number 2023-193212.
