Rising extortion crimes test Canada’s soft-on-crime justice policies

Canada is facing a surge in extortion crimes, with Surrey, B.C. and Brampton, Ont. becoming hotspots for a wave of threats, shootings, arson, and violence.

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Canada is facing a surge in extortion crimes, with Surrey, B.C. and Brampton, Ont. becoming hotspots for a wave of threats, shootings, arson, and violence that has left communities grappling with a new public safety crisis.

For example, on October 6, 2025, two men, Abjeet Kingra, 26, and Vikram Sharma, 24, were charged with arson and discharge of a firearm with intent.

These charges are in connection with an August 2024 shooting at a Surrey residence that had previously received extortion threats. Kingra is already in custody on separate charges, and a warrant has been issued for Sharma.

Also that week, Mandeep Gidda, 23, Nirmaandeep Cheema, 20, and Arundeep Singh, 26, were charged with reckless discharge of a firearm in a separate but related case: a March 27, 2025 shooting at a Surrey residence. No injuries were reported.

To address the extortion wave, Surrey has launched a $250,000 reward fund for information leading to convictions in extortion cases targeting individuals and businesses in the city.

At the federal level, on September 29, 2025, the Government of Canada officially designated the Lawrence Bishnoi gang a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code.

The Bishnoi gang has been described as engaging in murder, shootings, arson, extortion, and intimidation, particularly in areas with diasporic South Asian communities.

There have been widespread concerns that Sikh business owners and other members of the South Asian community have been disproportionately targeted in extortion threats in places like Surrey and Brampton.

The wave of extortion and the violence it has unleashed has renewed calls for Ottawa and provincial governments to restore tougher sentencing, strengthen border screening, become more discerning on immigration, and to better equip police and the courts to confront organized crime.