'Living in constant fear': Canadian city calls for emergency amid extortion threats by Punjabi gangsters

Surrey mayor Brenda Locke called on Ottawa to declare a federal state of emergency after 35 incidents of extortion crime took place in the BC (British Columbia) city this month. “The City of Surrey is experiencing an acute and escalating crisis of organized extortion, intimidation, and targeted shootings resulting in fear, trauma, and economic harm to residents and business owners,” said Locke, reading the motion.“Residents and business owners are living in constant fear. Public safety is at risk, and the social and economic impact is real. The federal government needs to act now to give authorities the additional tools we need to keep our residents safe," the mayor said, calling for immediate deployment of more cops, RCMP units in Surrey. There were 132 extortion attempts in Surrey in 2025, 49 of which involved shots being fired at homes and businesses. Dozens of other cases were reported in Abbotsford and Delta, CBC reported.The extortion racket follows the almost same modus operandi, where shots are fired targeting houses and businesses and then extortionists contact the owners, threatening them for money.Councillor Pardeep Kooner who is a lifelong resident of Surrey said it's hard to always look over the shoulder. “As a Surrey resident and a Canadian, I kind of feel like the federal laws have held us hostage … in the city that we love. It's kind of hard to move through life always looking over your shoulder," she said. While most of these extortionists are from Punjab, the victims are mostly of South Asian region. Indian comedian Kapil Sharma's cafe in Surrey was shot thrice in 2025 since its opening in July. In the latest firing incident, 20-year-old Harshdeep Singh and 21-year-old Hanspreet Singh, were arrested early Monday morning. Police confirmed that both of them are foreign nationals and immigration officials have been notified. They are being held in custody until January 30.