Live updates | Ottawa pledges $4M over 4 years to fund B.C. task force amid extortion crisis

federal soldier public refuge government minister, B.C. Premiere, speak on crime, extortion threats

Pattern of extortions targeted at B.C.’s South Asian community comes to light

Extortion cases are piling up in Surrey — but what can be done?

RCMP brass says police were ‘on the back foot’ in dealing with extortion, but have since caught up

B.C. Launches task force to tackle rise in extortion, shootings in South Asian community

City of Surrey puts up $250,000 reward fund to combat extortion

Eby told reporters the $1-million victim support funding will go to local jurisdiction police, who currently have a limited number of officers and work shifts to investigate extortion crimes.

He said police officers and civilian staff are crucial for sharing information with the victims of extortion.

Eby said sharing updated information provides comfort to victims, who have told officials that not knowing what is happening with their file creates added stress.

MP Ruby Sahota, federal secretary of state for combatting crime, sent a warning to criminals involved in extortion and gangs.

“We are arresting, we are dismantling, disrupting these criminal organizations ... And we are also making removals,” Sahota said.

She said there is new legislation coming in the House of Commons specifically related to extortions that will make it tougher to get bail and lengthen possible prison sentences.

“It will be mandated that judges should consider consecutive sentencing when these cases arise,” she said.

Other measures tabled include tools for law enforcement like lawful access, Sahota said, which can allow police to search and seize digital communications and information.

While police say there have been more than 100 extortion incidents reported in Surrey, Abbotsford and Delta in 2025 alone — including more than 40 related shootings in Surrey — the roots of extortion in B.C.’s Lower Mainland go back at least two years, linked to investigations across the country.

This timeline explores much of what we know about the extortion wave in B.C. And the rest of Canada — from when the trend first emerged, to some of the most recent arrests.

Anandasangaree said the meeting explored the landscape of extortion in B.C., and officials heard first-hand from victims of the crime.

The federal public safety minister said the new drug-enforcement team will bring together police from various jurisdictions to work side-by-side in one location and allow them to act faster and more effectively.

He said enforcement alone isn’t enough, though, and more support is needed to stop the crime before it starts.

Anandasangaree said the feds will invest $1.5 million into a youth initiative that works closely with South Asian communities. The money will help open a youth engagement hub in Surrey that offers mentorship and job training, and helps youth stay away from gangs and organized crime.

Eby said the provincial and federal governments’ "shared goal" is to disrupt, prevent and end the threat of extortion.

He reiterated the federal government’s $4-million commitment to fund a task force to "chase down those gangsters" involved in extortion and drug dealing.

"They don’t pay any attention to the boundaries between communities for their illegal activities," Eby said.

The task force will assist local authorities to ensure a regional approach, according to Eby.

B.C. Public Safety Minister Nina Krieger kicked off the news conference around 11:10 a.m. PT.

She said the morning meeting included “very productive conversations.”

“This is to stop extortion threats that are threatening our communities,” she said.

She said the province has been working diligently to tackle the extortion issue and that they have been making “meaningful progress.”

She said extortion is happening across the country.

“Confronting this issue takes an all-hands-on-deck approach,” she said, adding more needs to be done to break the cycle of fear.

According to Delhi Police, 28-year-old Bandhu Maan Singh Sekhon from Ludhiana, Punjab, has been arrested in connection with shots fired at Kap's Cafe in Surrey, which is owned by popular Indian TV host and comedian Kapil Sharma.

There have been three shootings aimed at the café in Surrey, as well as multiple extortion attempts targeting Sharma.

Delhi Police made the arrest earlier this week.

Police allege Sekhon fled to India following "a crackdown by Surrey Police in which several of his associates were arrested."

Investigators in India allege Sekhon had travelled to Canada on an employment visa and came into contact with members of the Goldy Dhillon gang.

He is suspected of providing "logistics support" for the shooting at Kap's Cafe.

Police say Sekhon is also wanted in an international arms trafficking case in India.

Officials gave opening remarks before going into a closed-door meeting Friday morning.

Eby said the discussion will address any gaps, challenges or lack of resources that may be preventing officials from stopping the extortion threats.

The premier said work already underway on the issue includes a provincial task force with members from various law enforcement agencies, led by the B.C. RCMP.

He said between the Surrey RCMP and new Surrey Police Service, there have never been more police on the ground in Surrey, the second largest city in B.C.

Hi, I'm Pinki Wong, reporting from Surrey, where Premier David Eby is currently hosting the first trilateral meeting on extortion.

Among the people here are the federal Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree, B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma, Nina Patel from the Canada Border Services Agency, the mayors of Surrey and Abbotsford, and police force representatives from those cities.

In Eby’s opening remarks, he said it’s crucial all levels of government come together on this important issue.

He announced the federal and provincial governments will each be providing $500,000 to police for victim support. He said the funds will be used to ensure families get up-to-date information and help creating a safety plan, if required.

Eby said a further $4 million in funding will go toward a team focused on drug trafficking and gangs south of the Fraser River.

“We all are here [standing] for the community, we are united in our mission to ensure that those responsible are arrested, indicted and jailed,” Eby said.

RCMP brass says police were ‘on the back foot’ in dealing with extortion, but have since caught up

Assistant Commissioner John Brewer says it will take a team effort to put an end to the extortion crisis. He admits police were behind in dealing with the issue, but says that's no longer true.

In cases we've seen hither, extortionists typically middleman victims with a letter of the alphabet, a sound call in, or a WhatsApp message and demand a large amount of cash, usually from a business owner. The person often threatens their target’s safety and livelihood unless they pay up.

The extortionists have targeted homes and storefronts with gunfire to those who don't pay. In some cases, there have been arsons.

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