Another round of extortion-related charges laid in arson incident in Surrey
Posted October 7, 2025 4:17 pm.
Last Updated October 7, 2025 4:19 pm.
The BC Prosecution Service approved charges against two suspects in extortion-related offences in Surrey.
The Joint Force Operation (JFO) announced that 25-year-old Harmanjot Brar and 23-year-old Hardilpreet Singh are charged with arson and possession of stolen property.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!On Sunday, around 5 a.m., police in Surrey responded to a burning vehicle near the 81B Avenue area.
The suspects fled the area in a vehicle, officers say.
However, investigators were able to identify an associated residence and vehicle shortly after, which led to multiple arrests.
“The people were identified and have since been released pending further investigation,” the JFO said.
Officers have been remaining on the scene as an investigation is ongoing at the residence.
A search warrant has been sought, too.
“The collaborative and coordinated efforts of the JFO, Surrey Provincial Operational Support Unit (SPOSU), SPS, Integrated Police Dog Service (IPDS), and Integrated Emergency Response Team (IERT) can be directly attributed to locating, arresting, and charging these two men,” said Chief Superintendent Duncan Pound.
56 reported extortion cases in Surrey
With these charges, law enforcement continues its actions against an increasing number of extortion threats.
On Monday, BC RCMP Media Relations Officer Vanessa Munn announced the “first charges in relation to ongoing extortion investigations as a result of the task force and JFO.”
In total, 11 charges against seven men resulting from three separate investigations by the Surrey Police Service and the BC RCMP have been laid since Monday.
Extortion crimes have been increasingly affecting the South Asian community since February of 2024 across the province, with most offences in Surrey.
“There have been 56 reported extortion cases so far in 2025 and 31 related shots fired,” said SPS Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton.
To provide a better coordinated law enforcement response to the extortion threats, the B.C. government has launched a provincial task force.
This task force consists of members of the Canadian Border Services Agency, the Metro Vancouver Transit Police, the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit, and several municipal police departments.
