Toronto: Considered the epicentre of the extortion crisis in Canada, the town of Surrey in British Columbia has not recorded a single shooting in connection with the crime over the past three months.
The outlet Vancouver Sun reported that there were no extortion-related shootings in Surrey between August and October this year. “At least the most overt and dangerous component, the shootings, seem to have been quelled, but that is not an indication to us that the work is done,” a spokesperson for Surrey Police Service (SPS) told the outlet.
According to SPS data for this year, updated till October 17, there were 147 reported extortions, 21 related shots fired, four arsons and 78 victims.
Extortion peaked in January this year when 44 such attempts were reported and there were ten incidents involving shooting. In 2025, there were 133 reported extortions, 49 incidents of shots fired, and 88 victims. The last shooting occurred in July when a single such instance was recorded.
In 2024, there were only nine reported extortions and shots were fired twice.
{{/usCountry}}In 2024, there were only nine reported extortions and shots were fired twice.
{{/usCountry}}SPS described extortion as an incident “when an individual receives a demand for money with a threat of violence or intimidation”.
Since extortion attempts surged in the summer of 2025, SPS instituted multiple measures including Project Assurance wherein its team was “providing daily patrols in and around extortion target locations to protect victims and disrupt criminal activity”.
SPS’ officers are part of the British Columbia BC Extortion Task Force, a Royal Canadian Mounted Police-led outfit which unites police resources from Abbotsford, Delta, Surrey, Metro Vancouver Transit Police, Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of BC and Canada Border Services Agency.
In September this year, CBSA said 188 removal orders had been issued on various inadmissibility grounds related to extortion, and 111 individuals were removed from Canada. All those publicly identified by police were Indian nationals.
At the time, Canada’s Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree said that by “identifying and removing inadmissible individuals involved in criminal activity”, the government was “strengthening public safety”.