7 men charged in Surrey, B.C., extortion investigations

There’s progress in the crime spree that has stumped police for months and sparked fear in the South Asian community.

Police announced charges against seven men in relation to various extortion investigations in Surrey, B.C., on Monday, in the hours after another business in the city was peppered with gunfire.

In the first news release issued, the Surrey Police Service said three men were arrested and charged in relation to shots fired at a home earlier this year.

Police said the shooting occurred in the 13300 block of 89A Avenue just before 2 a.m. March 27. No injuries were reported.

The SPS’s Serious Crime Unit took over the investigation and found the incident to be related to an ongoing extortion investigation, the release said. Three suspects were identified, and numerous search warrants were issued.

On Oct. 3, Mandeep Gidda, 33, Nirmaandeep Cheema, 20, and Arundeep Singh, 26, were arrested. All three have each been charged with one count of reckless discharge of a firearm, police said.

Gidda and Cheema are scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 6, 2025, while Singh is due to appear Oct. 8.

“These three arrests and charges are a positive step forward as Surrey Police Service continues to aggressively tackle the issue of extortions in collaboration with Provincial Extortions Task Force and other policing partners across the country,” said Chief Const. Norm Lipinski, in the release.

“Enforcement and all investigative tactics will continue to ramp up as we work together to bring these criminals to justice.”

The B.C. RCMP’s Lower Mainland District Joint Force Operation also announced charges against two men accused of a shooting and arson at another Surrey residence in August 2024.

In a statement, Mounties said 26-year-old Abjeet Kingra and 24-year-old Vikram Sharma have been charged with discharging a firearm with intent and arson.

An alleged Bishnoi gang member, Kingra is currently serving a six-year prison sentence for a shooting and arson attack at Punjabi musician AP Dhillon’s house on Vancouver Island. Sharma, the second suspect in that case, remains at large.

Anyone with information about Sharma’s whereabouts is asked to call local police or Crime Stoppers.

“We recognize that charges in one investigation, does not erase the community’s fear and concern regarding ongoing extortions,” Chief Supt. Duncan Pound said, in the statement. “These charges show our commitment to the community, and with a dedicated task force and additional resources, we are in a stronger position to pursue multiple suspect groups, and advance investigations toward further charges.”

Also on Monday, B.C.’s extortion task force, comprised of several local police agencies, said two men were charged in relation to a vehicle arson that occurred early Sunday morning.

Police say they responded to the vehicle fire in the 15000 block of 81B Avenue in Surrey at 5 a.m. The suspects had already fled the scene, but were later arrested at a home with the involvement of police dogs and the heavily armed Emergency Response Team.

Harmanjot Brar, 25, and Hardilpreet Singh, 23, were charged with arson and possession of stolen property.

The Joint Force Operation took conduct of the case, as there are “potential links to other ongoing investigations.”

As Surrey continues to confront a surge of extortion incidents in the city, its police force has collaborated with the City of Surrey to launch a reward and tip line to help secure convictions in the ongoing investigations.

In September, the city announced it would be putting up a $250,000 reward fund that will provide payments to those who come forward with information that directly leads to arrests and convictions of those involved.