Surrey forum for business owners targeted by extortion attempts draws hundreds

Fear is gripping Surrey’s South Asian business community as extortion attempts are escalating, with threats of violence and shootings.

Hundreds gathered on Sunday at a public forum organized by a local Surrey business owner who says he’s been repeatedly targeted, with shots fired at his businesses.

Satish Kumar says he received a voicemail in Hindi demanding $2 million and threatening his family’s lives.

After reporting it to police, three shootings targeted businesses he owns or is connected to — Reflections Banquet Hall on June 7,  Hub Insurance on June 10, and Satish Accounting on June 13 — leaving bullet holes and shattered glass but no injuries.

Kumar is urging the community to stand united against these threats. 

“So far, nobody has been arrested. I don’t know what’s going on. If these things continue going on, it’s a big problem for the community, and the community is not safe,” he told CityNews.

The Surrey Police Service has received 10 extortion reports in Surrey over the past six months targeting the South Asian community via letters, phone calls, and social media messages with threats of violence.

Speaking at the forum, SPS Chief Norm Lipinski stressed the importance of community collaboration and noted the challenge of unreported cases.

“We are not going to solve this unless we have a two-way street of information. Number one, we are working with the community. Number two is that anybody who has any information needs to step forward. You can be anonymous,” he told the crowd.

Lipinski reassured that investigations are ongoing and wide-reaching, though many are purposely under the radar.

“These are complex investigations, many of which go beyond the borders of this city. The techniques we use are very deliberate, they are measured, and often they have to be very quiet.”

The provincial government faced pressure to push for stronger laws and resources, and local BC Conservative MLA Steve Kooner criticized the province for insufficient action, noting extortion isn’t mentioned in the B.C. budget. He also called for federal support.

“The government has failed to acknowledge this issue as a very serious one. Because of that, there are no specific resources allocated to address this specific problem,” Kooner told CityNews.

Public Safety Minister Gary Begg said $100 million is spent annually on gang-related enforcement.

“The province, as we speak, is actively investigating these as ongoing crimes, and I expect that very shortly there will be arrests made,” he explained.

As Surrey’s South Asian community rallies against extortion, the message is clear — fear won’t silence them. With police and politicians promising action, the community’s hope is for justice and safety.