2 people arrested amid extortion investigation targeting South Asian businesses

CBC News

· Posted: Jul 03, 2025 4:58 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

Mounties successful B.C.'s Lower Mainland accidental 2 radical person been arrested amid an ongoing probe into extortion attempts against South Asian businesses successful the area.

The 2 suspects were arrested Thursday for careless discharge of a firearm and arson, related to incidents that happened successful Surrey successful 2024, constabulary said successful a statement.

Police crossed the Lower Mainland person been investigating a emergence successful fiscal extortion attempts and unit since precocious 2023, erstwhile a drawstring of threats were made against section South Asian businesses. 

Police said victims would acquisition acts of unit oregon spot harm if they refused demands for ample sums of money. The extortion attempts person chiefly targeted South Asian businesses, constabulary said.

Charges not laid

Chief Superintendent Duncan Pound said astatine a news conference connected Thursday the arrests were made with the extremity of gathering caller information for charges.

"There are nary existent charges laid, truthful we volition not beryllium capable to spell into the names oregon details of the individual's arrested," Pound said.

"But this cognition facet is present wide open, and it had been kept nether wraps to guarantee that the investigative objectives were capable to beryllium met."

No different information, specified as the fig of extortion victims, incidents, oregon evidence recovered during the arrest, was provided.

The 2 individuals are Surrey residents and are presently successful custody, Pound said. 

"They whitethorn beryllium released without charges," helium added.

Pound says it's believed the individuals are progressive successful extortions successful the Lower Mainland that day backmost to incidents that occurred arsenic aboriginal arsenic 2023.

He says constabulary are encouraging victims to come forward.

"If you are the unfortunate of an extortion attempt, bash not comply with demands, prevention each correspondence and interaction your section constabulary instantly to marque a report," constabulary said successful a statement.

RCMP say they launched a joint unit cognition into the crimes successful 2024, with municipal, provincial and national resources.

The associated task unit is comprised of the RCMP Surrey provincial unit, Abbotsford Police Department, RCMP Federal Policing, B.C. RCMP Major Crime section, and a civilian transgression expert from the Surrey Police Service.

Last week, the state announced $100,000 for a 60-day run tally by B.C. Crime Stoppers to tract anonymous tips successful effect to a emergence successful threats and unit targeting South Asian businesses.