Police have arrested two men in connection with an extortion investigation that targeted South Asian businesses, including verbal and written threats as well as targeted shootings. Surrey RCMP said Friday they have arrested two men in connection to an ongoing extortion investigation and investigators are seeking the public’s assistance for information related to a suspect vehicle. A DESIBUZZCanada exclusive story in early December asked: “Are Criminal Gangs From India Behind Extortion And Robberies Targeting Indo-Canadian Businesses?” We wrote: “Are criminal gangs made up of criminals coming here under the guise of students behind the rise in extortion and robberies targeting local Indo-Canadian businesses and are police forces aware of this factor? Last week Wednesday, a business at Payal Business Centre was robbed of allegedly thousands of dollars by thieves. And it was followed by a shooting at another business the following day. Surrey RCMP said recently that they have become aware of extortions targeting business owners throughout the Lower Mainland and is encouraging anyone who may be a victim to call police.”

By PD Raj – Senior Reporter DESIBUZZCanada

SURREY – Police have arrested two men in connection with an extortion investigation that targeted South Asian businesses, including verbal and written threats as well as targeted shootings.

Surrey RCMP said Friday they have arrested two men in connection to an ongoing extortion investigation and investigators are seeking the public’s assistance for information related to a suspect vehicle.

On December 28, Surrey RCMP arrested two men in a residential area of Cloverdale. The men, both in their twenties from Surrey, were transported to Surrey RCMP Detachment and they were later released pending further investigation.

“Surrey RCMP has a dedicated team of investigators who have been working around the clock on this investigation,” says Sergeant Derek Bonner of the Surrey RCMP Serious Crime Unit. “These arrests are a significant development in this ongoing investigation,” added Bonner.

Investigators are releasing a photo of a vehicle of interest to advance the investigation. The vehicle is described as a white, Audi e-tron, between the years 2019 and 2023. 

“We believe this vehicle was used during an incident in White Rock on December 4, 2023 at 12:09 a.m. in which shots were fired at a residence in the 13900-block of Marine Drive,” says Sergeant Derek Bonner. “If you recognize the vehicle, please contact Surrey RCMP and if you wish to remain anonymous, please contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or www.solvecrime.ca,” said Sergeant Bonner.

Police said as this remains an active, ongoing investigation, they are unable to provide further details at this time.

Surrey RCMP encourages any business owners who have been threatened to please call your local police department.

If you are targeted in an extortion attempt, do not engage with the suspect and do not send any money, instead contact local police immediately.

Anyone with more information is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502, and quote file number 2023-193212.

A DESIBUZZCanada exclusive story in early December asked: “Are Criminal Gangs From India Behind Extortion And Robberies Targeting Indo-Canadian Businesses?”

We wrote: “Are criminal gangs made up of criminals coming here under the guise of students behind the rise in extortion and robberies targeting local Indo-Canadian businesses and are police forces aware of this factor? Last week Wednesday, a business at Payal Business Centre was robbed of allegedly thousands of dollars by thieves. And it was followed by a shooting at another business the following day. Surrey RCMP said recently that they have become aware of extortions targeting business owners throughout the Lower Mainland and is encouraging anyone who may be a victim to call police.”

Randeep Sarai, MP for Surrey Centre, told the media recently that such extortions targeting South Asian-owned businesses is something the community has seen before.

“In the 90s there was similar scenarios, when the the gang violence in South Vancouver was happening, first in the 90s and early 2000s, there was a similar pattern there. In Montreal, it’s very known — there was similar types of patterns in the early 2000s,” he told CityNews sister station OMNI news.

According to police, the identical letters demand businesses pay the sender in exchange for “protection from future violence.”

AbbyPD said the letters are generic and do not include any specifics about the businesses or the threats being made against them. They also do not indicate a method of payment, contact, or communication, police added.

Sarai adds it’s not just letters that are circulating — some business owners are also being telephoned with threats if they ignore the letters.

“Generally, they get a call from a service, not a normal phone service, but on WhatsApp or some other type of phone messaging service, or they get a threatening message or a threatening call saying, ‘Pay up. You’ve got a business, you expanded your business, so we want this much money.’

“If they ignore it, then they get the threats to their business or their homes being shot at,” Sarai said. “That’s been the sequence that I’ve heard from people who have reached out to me. It may be different in some cases, but that’s what we have heard.” 

Sarai says the federal government is working with its provincial partners and police to address the problem.