Surrey, B.C., police launch team to counter extortions in South Asian community
Surrey police say they'll attend a Sunday safety forum organized by members of the South Asian community
A series of reports of extortion from people and businesses in the South Asian community have prompted a wider investigation by police in Surrey, B.C.
The Surrey Police Service said in a statement that it is working with provincial and national RCMP to help in their investigations, as numerous Canadian police agencies have reported similar crimes.
Police said they've had 10 complaints over the last six months of people getting letters, phone calls or social media messages demanding money under threats of violence.
The service said it has launched its own extortion investigations team and will be attending a public safety forum on Sunday in the city organized by members of the South Asian community. It's to be held at Reflections banquet hall on 152A Street at 2 p.m.
Forum organizer Satish Kumar, the president of the city's Lakshmi Narayan Mandir temple, is also announcing a $100,000 reward to encourage the community to help bring an end to the extortion and violence.
"I'm requesting the community [to] come forward," he told CBC News. "Don't be scared of these guys, right? They don't want to kill you. They want only money from you guys."
Kumar said two recent shootings at his businesses are connected to ongoing extortion attempts targeting the South Asian community.
He said he received video voicemails on May 28 from numbers listed as being from Italy and New Zealand that demanded $2 million.
He said he refused to pay and reported it to police at the time, but officials took no action.
In the early hours of June 7, shots were fired at Reflections banquet hall, which he owns, he said.
Shots were fired, he said, at another business he's connected to, Hub Insurance, on Tuesday.
No one was injured in the shootings at the businesses.
Extortion threats emerged last year and violence that followed included arsons and shootings, which police in Ontario, Alberta and B.C. said were linked to organized crime in the Indian state of Punjab.
Surrey police Chief Norm Lipinski said it's important to tackle the extortion trend head-on, but it's equally important to collaborate with victims and the broader community to deal with it together.
RCMP Chief Supt. Wendy Mehat, with the Surrey Provincial Operations Support Unit, said they are concerned there may be more victims who have complied with demands and haven't gone to police.
"We discourage anyone from responding to such demands," said Mehat. "Officers are working to prevent these traumatizing situations and to holding those responsible to account."
With files from CBC's Sohrab Sandhu