Extortion remains a serious concern in Surrey, but the local police chief is highlighting the decreasing number of reports of the crime over the last two months. “Over the past few months, we’ve seen a meaningful decline in both extortion threats and shots fired occurrences linked to extortions,” said Surrey Police Service Chief Const. Norm Lipinski in a video on the department’s social media Friday. In January, police received 44 reports of extortion threats in Surrey—more than one a day—and there were 10 extortion-related shootings, according to the SPS. In February, the number of reported threats declined to 17, and there was only one extortion-related shooting. March saw three shots fired incidents, but just 14 reports of extortion threats. “While this trend is encouraging, I want to be clear,” Lipinski said. “Any threat against a business owner or resident is deeply concerning.” Extortion attempts, primarily targeting South Asian residents and businesses, have been a problem in Surrey and across Canada for years, but they reached a crisis level in December and January. Police task forces have been established at both the provincial and national levels to assist local departments in responding to the issue. Authorities have said the extortion attempts are being perpetrated by a variety of groups, some based in B.C. or elsewhere in Canada and others based abroad, primarily in India. As of mid-March, the Canada Border Services Agency had launched more than 370 investigations into the admissibility of suspected extortionists, issuing 70 removal orders and deporting 35 people deemed inadmissible due to links to criminal organizations.
