B.C. launches campaign encouraging residents to report extortion, violence against South Asian businesses

B.C. is funding a new public awareness campaign in an effort to target a growing number of extortion attempts against the South Asian community.

On Thursday, B.C. Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Garry Begg said the campaign aims to encourage reporting from the public, either to police or anonymously to Crime Stoppers.

Begg said threats against South Asian businesses have increased in recent months and years. Surrey Police Service (SPS) Chief Norm Lipinski said since the beginning of the year, 12 new investigations into extortion and violence against the South Asian community have been launched in that city. 

"Understandably, this causes great concern among residents," Begg said. 

When asked why the South Asian community is being targeted in particular, Begg did not have an answer. 

"Why this particular community, I don't know the answer to that."

The province announced $100,000 for the campaign, which will be run by B.C. Crime Stoppers for 60 days. Begg said he hopes people will be more willing to report information to Crime Stoppers because they can do so anonymously. 

Last week, Premier David Eby said he would be asking Prime Minister Mark Carney to declare a group based in India called the Bishnoi gang a terrorist organization in Canada. He said the gang has been linked to some threats in B.C.

That came after a public safety forum held on June 15, which brought together business owners, police and elected officials to discuss the ongoing rise in threats and violence against the South Asian community in Surrey and several other parts of Canada.

Lipinski said Thursday that the SPS Extortion Investigations Team is working on these cases full time, with the help of other policing agencies.

The Crime Stoppers line, for those looking to file a report, can be reached at 1-800-222-8477 or on the B.C. Crime Stoppers website.