The RCMP in BC announced that they have arrested two individuals in connection with an investigation into extortion attempts in the Lower Mainland against South Asian business community.
The police arrested two individuals on July 3, 2025, for careless discharge of a firearm and arson in relation to extortion incidents that occurred in 2024, in Surrey, BC.
Since late 2023, police across the Lower Mainland have been investigating a series of targeted financial extortions primarily affecting members of the South Asian business community. Victims have reported receiving threats demanding large sums of money, sometimes followed by acts of violence or property damage when demands were not met. “There’s multiple incidents. The time frame is late 2023 to 2024, but there are actually several different incidents we believe this group was responsible for,” RCMP Lower Mainland District Assistant District Commander and Operations Officer Chief Superintendent Duncan Pound said.
Police have not released their identity, and did not answer questions at the press conference organized to give details about the arrest including their age, gender or status in Canada.
“The goal of the arrests today was to gather additional information,” Pound said. “All of that will then be put together into a report to Crown counsel, we will work closely with the B.C. Prosecution Service, and they have already committed to making it a priority.”
While sharing the details of the investigation, police said, that Mounties have been coordinating those investigations under a new Joint Force Operation (JFO) led by the RCMP Lower Mainland District since the start of 2025. “In January 2025, a JFO led by the RCMP Lower Mainland District was stood up to combine expertise from various police agencies to ensure a focused and coordinated continuation to investigations that began in late 2023 and early 2024.”
The JFO is a small project team comprised of experienced investigators from the RCMP Surrey Provincial Operations Support Unit, Abbotsford Police Department, RCMP Federal Policing – Pacific Region and the BC RCMP Major Crime Section in addition to a civilian criminal analyst from the Surrey Police Service.
“These arrests are reflective of a shared a commitment amongst law enforcement to coordinate efforts, leverage regional resources, and gather the necessary evidence to pursue criminal charges,” Pound said. “These investigations take time and for strategic investigative reasons, details of the coordinated policing efforts have not been shared publicly. We want the public to know that police agencies across the Lower Mainland are prioritizing these investigations and are committed to working together and with communities to hold those responsible, accountable.”
Mounties are also again urging anyone who has been targeted by extortion attempts not to cooperate or give any money, and to report it immediately to police. “If you are involved in extortion, you should understand that across the Lower Mainland, law enforcement is making this a priority, and we are investigating, and we will not stop until we get to charges.”
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke hailed the arrests in a social media post.
“Our city has been under siege, and these actions send a powerful message that violence and criminal activity will not be tolerated in our community,” Locke wrote.
“I commend the RCMP for their vigilance and unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our residents.”
