B.C., Ottawa co-ordinating to fight ‘unprecedented threat' from extortion crime, Eby says

‘We’re audience you, we're with you,’ says government minister on supporting victims veneer 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

Thanks for joining our live page today on the first trilateral meeting between officials working on the extortion file in B.C. And beyond.

Officials announced $1 million in funding, split evenly between the province and feds, for local jurisdiction police to improve victim services. The $500,000 share from the federal government will be used to fund four additional victim service and community outreach workers.

The federal government committed another $4 million over four years through Canada’s border plan to create a Regional Integrated Drug Enforcement Team. The team will bring together various levels of law and border enforcement agencies to fight organized drug crime and extortion.

The feds also announced a further $1.5 million to help fund a new youth engagement hub in Surrey, with the hope of diverting vulnerable young people from gangs and organized crime.

You can find more coverage of the impact extortion has on the province on our B.C. Extortion timeline or on our website cbc.ca/bc.

Eby said he is concerned about high profile offenders who are arrested, brought to court and then released back into the community.

“This is completely unacceptable to the average British Columbian. No one can make sense of why this would happen,” he said.

He said the province has asked the federal government to strengthen bail law, especially around extortion.

One proposed reform would force an arrested person to prove why they should be released, rather than Crown prosecutors having to argue why the person should be held in jail.

“That reversal, of putting it on the offender, means that it’s far more likely that individual is going to be held in jail,” Eby said

Eby noted the B.C. Extortion task force, which incorporates the Canada Border Services Agency, began in September.

“It’s not correct to suggest that the work on this has just started today,” Eby said.

The CBSA said in November it had removed three people from the country as part of its work with B.C.’s extortion task force. It said it was also investigating another 78 foreign nationals who may be inadmissible to the country and connected to the spate of shootings and extortion attempts in the province.

Anandasangaree said there have been multiple investments into the border plan as well as other tools for law enforcement in the months since extortion cases began spiking.

He said Friday’s summit is reaffirming the collaboration between governments and law enforcement and exploring any gaps.

“I’m suggesting that we reconvene in 90 days, just to assess progress,” he said.

Anandasangaree said while today’s meeting is the first trilateral response, conversations between governments have been happening for months.

He said officials have been advocating for collaboration “from Day 1.”

He noted Eby was the first person to write to the feds asking them to list the Bishnoi group as a terrorist organization.

“We did that within weeks of receiving that request,” Anandasangaree said.

Brewer said the B.C. Task force has the resources it needs to combat extortion.

“I’m confident we do have the right resources now, and we have access to the resources we need in the future,” he said.

B.C. RCMP Assistant Commissioner John Brewer said police are aware of the arrest of Bandhu Maan Singh Sekhon and understand it may be connected to a file in B.C.

“We expect to have some information in the coming days to substantiate that,” Brewer said.

Delhi Police say they arrested Sekhon earlier this week in connection with shots fired at Kap's Cafe in Surrey, which is owned by popular Indian TV host and comedian Kapil Sharma.

The café has been shot at three times since July. Surrey police say the incidents have the earmarks of extortion, but have not confirmed a link.

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.

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