First injury in Surrey extortion-related crimes marks change as cases pile up
Posted October 15, 2025 7:42 am.
The Surrey Police Service (SPS) is begging people to come forward with information after yet another crime has been connected to extortion.
In the early hours of Oct. 12, a woman was struck by a bullet while in a home in the area of 103-A Avenue and 130 Street. There were other people in the residence at the time, but she was the only one reported injured. The shots were fired by someone outside the building, who took off by the time investigators arrived.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!“This is the first time that a person has been injured because one of the shots being fired,” said SPS Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton.
The victim was initially listed in critical condition, but has since been upgraded to stable condition. She remains in the hospital.
“This is the first time that a person has been injured because one of the shots being fired.”
Houghton explains that, in addition to continuing to gather physical and digital evidence, the police are focused on figuring out what connection, if any, the residence has to the ongoing rise in extortion-related crimes.
“Anytime an incident like this happens, whether it’s at a residence or at a business, we’re looking into the relationship of any business owners, any tenants, any occupants of the house at the time — all of those need to be looked at and through a process of elimination sometimes… We have to look into each of them and eliminate them as being the reason for that shot being fired. That can take some time.”
Houghton revealed few details that are causing investigators to believe the shooting was related to extortion.
“Because of the way the incident happened — it’s a very common M.O. (modus operandi) in recent times, with the number of shots-fired incidents that we’ve been seeing, time of day, the way the shots were fired, a vehicle, individuals — some of those things make us believe it’s extortion related.”
He couldn’t share the exact number, but says people are reaching the tip line with information.
“Every time we get a call, we have to look into the veracity and truthfulness of those tips… and we urge, if anyone has any information that you want to pass along to police, please call our tip line.”
As of Oct. 9, he says there have been 59 extortion-related files so far this year and 33 shots-fired calls related to extortions.
Charges approved in extortion-related cases
Earlier this month, the B.C. Prosecution Service charged several people in three separate extortion-related cases in Surrey. But that barely scratches the surface of the scope of the investigation.
It came just weeks after the provincial government announced a special task force had been launched to deal with the crimes that predominantly target South Asian people and businesses.
Forty members from different enforcement agencies in B.C. comprise the task force.
Similar crimes have taken place across the country, prompting some police agencies to accuse the India-based Lawrence Bishnoi Gang of being involved.
The federal government listed the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity in late September, following calls from Conservative and NDP politicians, including B.C. Premier David Eby.
Earlier that month, Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke also announced a $250,000 reward for information leading to convictions in the cases.
Anyone with information about extortion-related cases is asked to call the Surrey Extortion Tip Line at 236-485-5149. The line is monitored by SPS officers seven days a week between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Punjab-speaking officers are also available, if needed.
—With files from Sarah Jones
