Surrey police launch special team to investigate extortion threats to South Asian community

Police in Surrey have formed a special investigative team to look into a series of extortion threats targeting South Asian residents and businesses in the city.

Over the last six months, Surrey Police have received 10 reports of extortion that are targeting the South Asian community with threats of violence through letters, phone calls, and social media.

Surrey Police Service (SPS) Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton says the new Extortion Investigations Team is collaborating with various agencies locally and across Canada.

While not many details about the team have been released, Houghton urged anyone with information to come forward.

“We want people who may have even complied with extortion demands to please phone the police because they may have information that might be critical to our investigators,” told Houghton 1130 NewsRadio on the phone.

He stresses the importance of the public collaboration.

“I think most people would understand that we can’t investigate if we don’t have the information or the evidence,” he said.

“We are concerned there may be additional victims who have complied with extortion demands or have not reported their situation to the police,” said Chief Superintendent Wendy Mehat in a statement.

Additionally, a special forum was held on Sunday to discuss these threats with the community.

The new team will allow SPS to respond to local incidents with investigative expertise, while also sharing intelligence and assisting policing partners in larger scale investigations. SPS has also increased patrols in a number of business areas.

“It is critical to all of us at Surrey Police Service that we tackle this trend of extortions head on, with significant police resources and intelligence led investigative work,” said SPS Chief Constable Norm Lipinski in the same statement.

“It is equally important that we collaborate with the victims and the broader community so we can deal with this issue together.”

In a press conference Tuesday, B.C. Premier David Eby says he acknowledges the threat those extortion activities pose for communities.

The premier said the Lawrence Bishnoi gang had been linked to extortions and other crimes against South Asian community members in B.C., Alberta and Ontario. 

Eby said he would write to Prime Minister Mark Carney to ask that the gang be given the terrorist designation “to enable police to be able to use the necessary tools to investigate.”

—With files from The Canadian Press