Frustration in B.C. as extortion suspects released 1 day after high-profile arrests
A Surrey, B.C., business owner targeted in ongoing extortion attempts in the region says police and the province still aren’t doing enough to break up the dangerous shakedowns.
It comes a day after police announced two arrests related to the extortion racket, but RCMP confirmed Friday that the suspects have already been released without charge.
At a press conference Thursday, police refused to share any specific details about the suspects, including age, sex or their status in Canada.
Business owner Satish Kumar said he was “very frustrated” with the press conference.
“What the hell are they doing? They shouldn’t do the press conference unless they have a concrete answer,” Kumar said.
Kumar is one of a number of Lower Mainland business owners, many of them of South Asian descent, who have been targeted since 2023 for large sums of money, in some cases up to $2 million.
Much of the extortion has been linked to an organized crime group in India called the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
He said he wants to see more urgent action.
“Even like the NDP, you know, like (Public Safety) Minister Garry Begg, they do nothing right now,” he said.
“People are not safe in the community. You know I’m still getting extortion calls. My extortion calls are not stopped yet, because I’m facing those guys still.”
Asked at an unrelated press conference Friday about the lack of detail provided by police, Begg said the arrests were a step forward in a process that isn’t finished yet.
“This is a continuous and ongoing investigation that the police locally, provincially and federally have been involved in. This doesn’t indicate the end of the investigation,” he said.
“This is merely the police announcing that they have arrested two people who are in custody in relation to these ongoing offences.”
Chief Supt. Elija Rain, Officer in Charge of the B.C. RCMP Major Crimes Section said Thursday’s announcement of arrests “marked a turning point.”
“I think there will be more information to follow, but at this point, I think we should celebrate it as a positive first step on dealing with that matter which has plagued this province in recent months.”
Extortion victims, however, remain frustrated that no charges have been laid in B.C. in relation to the ongoing extortion attempts.
By comparison, more than 100 charges have been laid in similar investigations in Alberta and Ontario since last year.
“What’s the celebration there, like just a press conference saying we arrested two guys with no charges,” Kumar said. “Nothing there.”
Under Canadian law, police can’t hold a suspect for over 24 hours without charges.
Ultimately, it will be up to Crown prosecutors to decide if and when police have advanced enough evidence to meet the standard for charge approval.
–with files from Rumina Daya
globalnews
