US EditionExtortion-plagued B.C. city calls for national state of emergency
Surrey council calls for federal intervention amid a nearly 500% rise in extortion cases in British Columbia over the past decade, seeking stronger law enforcement and legal reforms.
- On Tuesday night, Surrey city council passed a motion urging Ottawa to declare a national state of emergency for extortions, citing 35 suspected incidents this month.
- Entering its third year, the crisis surged in summer 2025, prompting Surrey Police Extortion Investigations Team formation and B.C. Extortion Task Force joining after 132 extortion attempts, 49 with shootings.
- During proactive patrols, officers stopped a suspect vehicle, arrested two arrested suspects, seized a loaded handgun and as of Jan. 26, SPS had 36 extortion reports affecting 21 victims.
- Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke says a federal declaration would give Ottawa temporary powers to tackle extortion, and with unanimous Surrey city council support, she will send requests to senior federal and police agencies, while Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree pledged more Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers.
- Extortion has disproportionately affected South Asian communities, creating fear and economic harm, with residents advocating `castle` and `stand-your-ground` laws and Surrey city council asking Ottawa to expedite removal of non-citizens charged or convicted.
37 Articles
37 Articles
The Chronicle-Journal
B.C. mayor says 20 more RCMP officers on the way to boost anti-extortion battle
The mayor of Surrey, B.C., says she's been told Ottawa will send 20 more RCMP officers to battle extortions that have seen homes and businesses riddled with gunfire, after Premier David Eby announced an inter-provincial meeting in the city to…
Provinces Hit by Extortion Wave to Meet in Surrey, BC: Eby
British Columbia Premier David Eby says officials from four provinces will meet in Surrey, B.C., to discuss a wave of extortion cases with the head of the RCMP national team handling the phenomenon that has seen homes and business riddled with gunfire. Eby says the meeting involving B.C., Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario will happen within two weeks, but did not give a firm date. He says Prime Minister Mark Carney agreed to commit more federal reso…
International extortion gangs have Canadians calling for national emergency
Extortionist gangs in Canada have caused enough targeted violence that officials want to call in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to break them up. Authorities are targeting the international “Bishnoi Gang,” a vast criminal syndicate run by an imprisoned man on the other side of the world. Surrey, British Columbia, Mayor Brenda Locke on Tuesday announced a resolution asking for a national emergency declaration to stem a growing tide of e…
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