Suspect in Ontario extortion case arrested in Surrey, B.C., police say

From Sept. 15: Surrey’s mayor and police chief announced a reward fund for information leading to convictions in a rash of cases targeting South Asian businesses.

A 26-year-old man who was wanted Canada-wide for his alleged role in an extortion attempt in Brampton, Ont., has been arrested in Surrey, B.C., according to police.

Gurdeep Shergill was arrested on a warrant for one count of discharging a firearm with intent and one count of extortion, the Surrey Police Service said in a statement Tuesday.

The arrest occurred on Friday, according to a separate statement from Peel Regional Police Service.

The SPS said Shergill has been returned to Ontario to appear in court. According to the PRPS, Shergill is a resident of Delta, B.C.

The charges against him stem from a pair of shootings at a home in Brampton on July 10 and 11. No one was injured in either incident, and a black Chrysler 300 was seen fleeing the scene. The vehicle was recovered in Winnipeg on July 13, according to Peel police.

In addition to Shergill, two other men have been charged with the same offences, the PRPS said.

Husandeep Singh, a 20-year-old man from Mississauga, Ont., was arrested on July 27, and Gurpreet Singh, a 23-year-old man of no fixed address, was arrested in Winnipeg on Aug. 26.

Surrey police said they became aware that Shergill was in their city on Sept. 7, and worked with PRPS investigators to track him down and arrest him.

Police in Surrey and across Canada have been investigating extortion incidents targeting South Asian residents and businesses in major cities in recent years.

Dozens of incidents have been reported in Surrey, with some business owners reporting receiving chilling phone calls demanding they pay exorbitant sums, then being threatened with gun violence or arson.

The RCMP announced the arrests of two suspects in July.

The extortion incidents, which began in 2023, have prompted the creation of local and national police task forces, changes to the way Crime Stoppers accepts tips and calls for the federal government to designate an Indian gang as a terrorist organization.

On Monday, the City of Surrey announced a $250,000 reward fund intended to help the SPS secure convictions in its ongoing extortion investigations.

The fund, approved by city council last week, will provide payments to individuals who come forward with information that directly leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Andrew Weichel and Regan Hasegawa