Surrey, B.C., offers rewards for extortion tips, citing dozens of threats, shootings

SURREY — The City of Surrey, B.C., is providing its police service with what Mayor Brenda Locke describes as one of the largest rewards in Canadian policing history in response to dozens of extortion attempts in the community.

It says the $250,000 fund comes as the Surrey Police Service actively investigates 44 extortion cases, including 27 that involved shootings targeting businesses, homes and vehicles, Chief Const. Norm Lipinski said Monday.

Locke told a news conference the extortions are “frightening and unacceptable” and many people in the Metro Vancouver city are living in fear.

The extortionists are “thugs and criminals” who “do not belong” in Surrey, and their actions are threatening the “way of life” in the city, the mayor said.

“I want to speak directly to those who know who is behind these extortions. Now, now is the time to come forward,” Locke said.

“And for those two have committed these crimes, know this — you will be caught, you will be prosecuted and you will be held accountable.”

Lipinski said a dedicated team has been investigating the extortions for three months since a peak in the crimes in June.

He said police served search warrants and have identified persons of interest, but investigators need help from the public.

“We know that there are people out there who have information about these crimes and who is behind them,” Lipinski said.

He said the reward money could be divided up based on assessments of the information that people provide.

The service has also launched a new tip line dedicated to the extortion file.

Police elsewhere have accused the India-based Lawrence Bishnoi gang of involvement in the crimes targeting South Asian communities across Canada.

British Columbia Premier David Eby and others have called for the group to be declared a terrorist organization.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2025