Surrey police and RCMP forensics officers are pictured after a shooting at Ustaad G76 South Surrey restaurant in Surrey, B.C., on Oct. 6. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Two years after the first report of what would become a wave of extortion attempts was made in B.C., the threats, demands and related violence continue to persist in the province.
Most recently, a shooting in South Surrey, B.C., on Nov. 8, was linked to extortion, according to police. It’s one of dozens of investigations happening in the province; as of Nov. 7, more than 100 extortion incidents had been reported in B.C. in 2025.
The India-based Bishnoi gang has claimed responsibility for some Canadian shootings on social media, and police have said there is evidence connecting the Bishnoi gang to Indian government agents.
Galib Bhayani, a Kwantlen Polytechnic University criminology professor and former RCMP officer, said the international nature of these extortion attempts are making it difficult for police to investigate them.
“Let’s be frank, these [extortion attempts] are happening from India,” he told CBC’s The Early Edition. “Our relationship with India in terms of information sharing is not good. At other levels, it’s not good as well.”
The past couple of years have been tense between Canada and India.
The relationship between the two countries broke down after then-Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian government agents of being involved in the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Surrey gurdwara in 2023. India dismissed the allegations as absurd and politically motivated.
The ties further devolved a year later, as each country expelled the other’s top diplomats.
Last year, federal RCMP commissioner Michael Duheme said RCMP had strong evidence showing the “highest levels” of the Indian government were involved in orchestrating a campaign of violence on Canadian soil, including murder, extortion and intimidation.
The commissioner said attempts to share evidence with Indian police had been unsuccessful.
- 3 people kicked out of Canada in B.C. extortion probe
- RCMP says it has ‘strong evidence’ linking campaign of violence to the ‘highest levels’ of Indian government
Bhayani said local B.C. police forces are not experienced with these types of investigations, which require extensive resourcing.
“The intimidation, the execution [of these crimes] is highly localized and often carried out with individuals who are aware of the cultural norms, speak the language, understand the business patterns of the victims,” Bhayani said.
“This means the traditional policing is insufficient. We do need to have better relationships with our partners internationally. But because we don’t have that, we have to work with what we have right now,” he said.
In September, the province announced a special RCMP-led taskforce dedicated to investigating extortion, bringing together 40 members from various law enforcement agencies, including intelligence analysts.
CBC News reached out to RCMP for an update on its extortion task force investigations, but did not heard back by publication.
Cases up since task force established: RCMP
The complexity of these investigations was part of the discussion at an extortion town hall event hosted by CBC BC on Nov. 13.
RCMP said the number of extortion cases in B.C. has increased since the task force was established, partly due to an uptick in the public actually reporting incidents.
WATCH | Number of extortion files go up after task force established, RCMP say:
B.C. RCMP Assistant Commissioner John Brewer says the increase in extortion cases is in part due to the task force receiving more calls and reports since the task force was created.
Jinny Sims, radio host and former Surrey-area MP, said Thursday that the international scope of extortion investigations means little to the people in the community impacted by it.
“When the shooters are here, and they’re shooting the people here, they need to be arrested here,” she said.
Bhayani, who was at the town hall, wants police to be more transparent about the number of arrests, seizures and disruptions made. He says he realizes that the police can’t share everything they’re working on, but he wants more information like this to be made public on a regular basis.
“Every month, if we got this reporting, it would increase a little bit of faith,” he said.
