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A small group of protesters called for more public safety amid a wave of extortion-related violence in Surrey, B.C., on Monday.
It was the same day police announced three foreign nationals were charged after an extortion-related shooting the previous day.
A rash of extortion crimes have been threatening communities in B.C.’s Lower Mainland, particularly Surrey, for over a year. Officials say the crimes have particularly affected South Asian communities and a provincial task force and reward fund have been set up to deal with the crisis.
At the protest, which took place outside the Surrey Arts Centre, demonstrators called on officials to do more and for residents to report any instances of extortion.
Around two dozen people turned out for the protest. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
“The fear in our community is because [perpetrators] are not getting punished,” said protest organizer Rasinder Kaur.
Kaur claimed that when arrests are made, the perpetrators are let out on bail.
Kaur says she knows many families that have not reported cases of extortion and have simply paid criminals after being threatened.
Protesters at the rally said that the extortion crisis is not simply one that affects Surrey’s South Asian community. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
She argues that the issue extends beyond the city’s South Asian community and said other people had joined the protest to demonstrate that.
Adam Gu, who held up a sign in a Chinese language that translates to “Fight against extortion, and refuse to be afraid,” said that he had been living in South Surrey for nearly two decades.
“I’m a father of two sons. And it’s true that we are feeling less safer year by year.”
3 men charged
Surrey police announced Monday that three foreign national men had been charged after an extortion-related shooting the previous day.
The arrests in the Crescent Beach neighbourhood, which came after officers responded to reports of gunshots around 3:50 a.m. PT on Sunday, happened near 28 Avenue and 140 Street.
Harjot Singh, 21, Taranveer Singh, 19, and Dayajeet Singh Billing, 21, have all been charged with one count of discharging a firearm into a place.
Harjot Singh, Taranveer Singh and Dayajeet Billing have been identified as the three foreign national men charged after an alleged extortion-related shooting in Surrey, B.C., on Sunday. (Surrey Police Service)
No one was injured in the shooting, but police say a home near Crescent Road and 132 Street was damaged and firefighters had to extinguish a small fire by a fence on the property.
“The investigation is ongoing and there may be additional Criminal Code charges coming in the weeks ahead,” said Surrey Police Service (SPS) spokesperson Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton.
“All three have been remanded into custody.”
Houghton confirmed the three men were foreign nationals, but said the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is investigating their exact status in Canada.
On Sunday, Hougton had said SPS officers located a “suspect vehicle” close to the site of the shooting and the occupants fled on foot.
The suspects were arrested “after getting into a rideshare vehicle,” the spokesperson added.
He said that two of the men failed to comply with officers’ instructions during the arrest and they had to deploy a “a low-level amount of force” to take them into custody.
Three men have been charged after the shooting in Surrey’s Crescent Beach neighbourhood early Sunday morning. (Shane MacKichan)
No weapons have been recovered, Houghton added.
“We don’t need to have seized firearms for the swearing of this charge. The investigation is continuing. Our officers have returned to the area to look for additional physical and digital evidence,” the spokesperson said.
Investigators have also seized two vehicles, according to SPS.
The arrests came after a patrol, part of a program called Project Assurance that has police “proactively patrol” residential and business areas targeted by extortion.
Anyone with information, including CCTV or dashcam footage, is asked to contact Surrey police’s non-emergency number.