BURST
In recent months, a string of extortion-related shootings and crimes have proliferated across Metro Vancouver.
Many of the cases stem from incidents involving Surrey-based businesses with a seeming trend targeting South Asian business owners.
Here’s what we know about the ongoing investigations into extortions and related crimes in Metro Vancouver:
What is extortion and how is it different from blackmail?
Based on the dictionary definition, extortion is the act of trying to get something from a victim through threats, violence or coercion, while blackmail is a specific type of extortion where someone tries to get money from a victim, typically by threatening to reveal sensitive information.
According to the Criminal Code, instances of blackmail would fall under the charge of extortion .
What is happening with extortions in Metro Vancouver and why?
In recent months and even years, a number of business owners mostly based in Surrey have been targeted in shootings, whether at their place of work or their home. In many cases, the violence came following communications with the business owners in which suspects demanded large sums of money.
Those who could not pay — or refused to pay — often found their businesses or home hit by gunfire.
In August 2025, Charanjit Sidhu, owner of Bestway Foreign Exchange, said he had received multiple calls demanding payment of $1 million, but he refused to comply.
“We didn’t answer, we were avoiding their calls. Then they called again and said, ‘You’ll be seeing a result in 24 hours,’” Sidhu recalled. In the days following, his business was hit by gunfire .
How long have these extortion threats and related crimes been happening? How many case have been reported so far?
It’s unclear how long the threats of extortion have been happening but some of the incidents being investigated date back to at least 2024.
As of Oct. 6, 2025, there have been 56 extortions cases, including 31 shots-fired incidents, reported in the city of Surrey so far this year.
Who is being targeted with extortions? Where are these shootings happening?
Most of the businesses or business owners targeted are South Asian, and many are based in Surrey, with a few incidents occurring in Maple Ridge. In some cases, the violence has also escalated to target the homes of the business owners.
Some of the businesses that have been targeted in shootings include multiple locations of Ustaad G76 restaurant , a newly opened café owned by a popular South Asian comedian , a banquet hall , an accountant’s office , a trucking company , a car wash , a radio station , and a money exchange . It’s unclear if all of them had also received extortion threats prior to the shootings.
Who’s behind the extortion threats or related shootings?
There’s no single suspect or group behind all the threats and shootings though investigators believe some of the gunmen behind the shootings may be hired by larger entities or organized groups to commit the violence.
It’s also believed there are a number of copycats that have emerged in recent months, mimicking earlier threats that may have been committed by established criminal organizations.
Kash Heed, a former B.C. solicitor general, said while the police investigations have yielded results, he hopes investigators will push further to nab the masterminds behind the hired guns.
“They’re getting the people at the lower end of the spectrum. They’re getting the people that are hired most likely to do what they’re doing, to go out and create the fear by shooting up houses, shooting up businesses, torching cars, making those threats,” Heed said .
“They now need to strategically investigate, work this up to the people that are behind the extortions.”
Why are there copycat extortionists?
Police sources who have spoken to Postmedia say that while some extortion cases have been linked to organized crime in Canada and India, there are also a rash of lower-level “copycat” criminals who may be capitalizing on the fear created in recent years.
Heed said he is aware of some business owners who have paid their extorters, including one person who transferred $3 million to Indian bank accounts in a case that “absolutely had links to organized crime.”
As a result of earlier extortion threats that were successful, a number of copycats are believed to be committing similar crimes with the same hopes of being paid.
Has anyone been arrested or charged yet?
On Oct. 6, a flurry of charges were announced by both the Surrey Police and the B.C. RCMP against five men in two separate confirmed extortion cases. Two others were also charged in an arson case that is possibly linked to extortion.
• Mandeep Gidda, 23, Nirmaandeep Cheema, 20, and Arundeep Singh, 26 , were charged with reckless discharge of a firearm stemming from a March 27 shooting outside a house in the 13300-block of 89A Avenue in Surrey. No one was injured.
• Abjeet Kingra, 26, and Vikram Sharma, 24, each face charges of discharge of a firearm with intent and arson connected to an August 2024 shooting and arson at a home of a person who had been threatened with extortion. No one was injured. Kingra and Sharma were previously charged — and Kingra convicted — in a shooting and arson in September 2024 at the Colwood home of musician and producer AP Dhillon. Sharma is believed to be hiding in India. A judge in Kingra’s case noted his involvement in the crime was the result of his ties to the Lawrence Bishnoi crime group based in India.
• Harmanjot Brar, 25, and Hardilpreet Singh, 23 , are charged with arson and possession of stolen property related to an incident Oct. 5 in the 15000-block 81B Avenue in Surrey. That case is still be reviewed for possible links to extortion.
“These are complex investigations with international dimensions and our government remains committed to ensuring police have the tools and resources they need to move investigations forward and pursue further charges,” said B.C.’s Public Safety Min. Nina Krieger in a statement Wednesday.
What is the Bishnoi gang?
The Bishnoi gang is an organized crime group in northern India that appears to have extended its influence to North America in recent years. Indian media have reported that extortion is a significant source of the gang’s income.
While founder Lawrence Bishnoi has been in Indian prison since 2014, the Bishnoi name has been mentioned by extortionists in recent threats but it’s unclear if the gang is actually behind the threats or if it’s being used as an intimidation tactic.
In response, B.C. Premier David Eby called on the federal government to declare the Bishnoi gang a terrorist group .
Has anyone been injured or killed so far?
As of Oct. 8, there have been no fatalities linked to extortion threats, however, a Surrey shooting in mid-June claimed the life of Satwinder Sharma , a 56-year-old Abbotsford resident who ran a company supplying farm labour. While the shooting has hallmarks of an extortion shooting, police have not officially linked that case to extortion.
At a recent news conference, Chief Const. Norm Lipinski with the Surrey Police said all the extortion-related shootings so far had been directed at buildings or homes.
Who’s investigating the extortion threats and related crimes?
All levels of government have dedicated resources to probing the extortion threats and violence, with specialized teams put together to investigate.
Last year, the federal government announced a national task force that would co-ordinate investigations into extortions across provinces. The National Co-ordination and Support Team (NCST) shares investigative information between provinces affected such as B.C., Alberta and Ontario.
In September, a dedicated provincial task force was also put together, comprised of 40 members pulled from various policing agencies including the B.C. RCMP, Abbotsford police, the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit B.C., Delta police, Metro Vancouver Transit Police, Surrey police, and the Canada Border Services Agency.
Both Surrey and Abbotsford police forces each have their own dedicated teams responding to extortion crimes.
But some critics have called for a more unified approach to investigating extortions.
“What they need to do is have a unified task force that’s going to be on the ground level and be able to work it up to see if there is any international connections here,” said Heed.
“It’s got to be from the ground up. It can’t be from the top down.”
Where can I report a tip on extortion threats? Is there a reward for tips?
Those who have been threatened with extortion or who may have information about a possible extortion attempt should report it to their local police.
The Surrey police has established a dedicated extortion tip line for cases that are located in the Surrey area. That phone line is 236-485-5149, open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Punjabi-speaking officers are also available to assist.
To encourage tips, the city of Surrey also announced a $250,000 fund Surrey Police could use to reward tipsters who share information leading to charges and convictions.
With files from Postmedia.