Surrey RCMP working with other law enforcement agencies in extortion investigation

The Surrey RCMP says it is working with agencies in other jurisdictions in its ongoing investigation into the extortion of Lower Mainland businesses, which has targeted members of the South Asian community in at least three provinces.

In November, Surrey RCMP and other police jurisdictions said they had received reports from local business owners who said they had been targeted by extortion attempts. According to the Abbotsford Police Department, letters were sent to these businesses demanding they pay the sender in exchange for “protection from future violence.”

Now, law enforcement agencies in Surrey, White Rock, Abbotsford, West Vancouver, Edmonton, and Ontario’s Peel region have all launched probes into extortion threats over the past few months.

Corp. Sarbjit Sangha with the Surrey RCMP says the extortion threats bear striking similarities to tactics used by gangs in India.

“In India, certainly in Punjab, these types of incidents are very common, where people get extorted, and mostly it’s business owners that (are) extorted, and they call it protection money,” Sangha told CityNews. “I believe that the same element has raised its head in Canada.”

In November, Abbotsford Police had said the department was investigating the leak of an internal police bulletin that said investigators were looking into an “ongoing extortion” with possible ties to a gang based in India headed by well-known gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.

In a statement, Abbotsford Police spokesman Const. Art Stele said police have not confirmed that the “letters are linked to incidences of violence.”

“Yet all possible avenues and leads are being investigated,” the statement said. “As there are many moving parts to this investigation, we cannot answer all questions as to not impede on the ongoing investigation, yet will communicate what we can to ensure the public is informed.”

Sangha says she couldn’t confirm whether Surrey RCMP are investigating potential links to gangs in India.

She says the incidents have rattled community members, and police across jurisdictions are working to get to the bottom of it.

“There are many jurisdictions that have had similar incidents, although we’re making sure that we’re speaking with anyone that has similar incidents similar to ours, that we are sharing information with them and they’re sharing information with us to make sure that we are all on the same page,” she said.

“We’ve already seen violence with these, so it is a scary thing — not just for the community but for ourselves as well, our officers who are investigating these crimes. So we are as invested as our community is to come to a conclusion of these threats.”

Surrey police said they arrested two men in Cloverdale in connection with the investigation Dec. 28. The two suspects, who were in their 20s, were later released.

In Brampton, Ont., Peel Regional Police have made one arrest. 23-year old Tanmanjot Gill of Abbotsford was arrested Dec. 9 in relation to an incident where multiple rounds were fired at a local business. However, Peel police said one suspect is still at large.

“Peel Regional Police is currently investigating a disturbing trend of extortion attempts. These attempts are primarily targeted towards members of our South Asian business community. Victims are contacted through a variety of social media platforms and demands for money are made under threats of violence, which have occurred in some incidents,” the agency said in a news release Dec. 22.

“Nine incidents are currently being investigated.”

The agency has set up an Extortion Investigative Task Force to look into the incidents.

Meanwhile, in Edmonton, police have been investigating at least 18 extortion cases — also targeting the city’s South Asian community — since October.

Edmonton Police Service says suspects would target victims on WhatsApp and in some cases had knowledge of the victim’s personal information, including family members, vehicles, and lifestyle patterns.

If the victims failed to pay the extorted sum, it would result in property damage, arson, and in some cases drive-by shootings — although no injuries have been reported at this point.

Six men have been arrested so far in connection to the shootings and arsons, although one suspect is still considered to be a person of interest.

Police say people who find themselves the target of threats should call police immediately and not give in to any demands.

Public safety forum to be held in Surrey on Saturday following string of threats

The South Asian community is on edge after businesses in Surrey and Abbotsford received extortion letters demanding a protection fee in addition to an increase in gun violence and break-ins, and business owner Sutish Kumar says he is stepping up, hosting a public forum where people can voice their concerns.

Kumar says the community must come together to discuss the threats and try to find ways to tackle the problem.

“The other community members, they got letters and phone calls, they’re so scared,” he said. “If they’re scared, and just blaming everybody, it doesn’t work. They have to come forward and face the problem.”

Kumar has invited local businesses, MLAs, MPs, and the RCMP to attend the forum and have an open conversation.

He says he believes this forum will encourage members of the community to speak out and express their concerns to local politicians while also helping the RCMP in their investigation.

“I understand, the police and RCMP, they need to do their job, but they need the community’s support,” he said. “If the community doesn’t give support to the RCMP, or the provincial government, then it’s tough for these guys too.”

The Surrey Board of Trade (SBOT) says it has also been receiving calls from concerned business owners, and it fears that if nothing is done, the city’s economy could be affected.

“As a result of a lot of these issues and thefts, they are starting to make the decision, ‘Do we just close up shop and move somewhere else where it’s safer, or do we go back to what we’ve been doing and speak out?'” said SBOT policy and research manager Jasroop Gosal.

Kumar says his son’s home on 80th Avenue in Surrey was the target of a shooting last Wednesday. The RCMP did not confirm a connection between the shooting and the string of extortions.

“I don’t know where this group come from, who’s behind it, why they’re targeting Canada,” he said.

With files from The Canadian Press, Hana Mae Nassar, Cole Fortner, and Cecilia Hua.