Pressure is mounting for greater police action, amid reports of extortion letters targeting dozens of entrepreneurs in B.C.’s Lower Mainland.
The letters claim to be from an “Indian gang,” and demand $2 million in “protection money.” Recipients were given a month to comply or face retaliation — and warned if they go to police, “no more letter only bullet.”
Global News spoke with one Fraser Valley business owner who said he recieved the same threat before his home was targeted.
Now the man, who Global News has agreed not to identify, fears for his life.
“Everyone is afraid, right? They shot at my house. My kids were sleeping, my wife, my mom and dad were sleeping,” he said.
“They threaten me many times, ‘We’ll kill you if you don’t give us the money.’ Who has that kind of money?”
On Thursday evening, BC RCMP said they were aware of the threats, and for the first time confirmed a link between shots fired and the extortion attempts.
“The RCMP and Abbotsford Police Department believe these incidents may be linked and are working in partnership to advance and coordinate an investigation into these matters,” Mounties said.
“Police acknowledge that the threats circulating to businesses including a recent incident that involved shots being fired at a home in White Rock are deeply concerning.”
Local journalist Gurpreet Singh Sahota told Global News the threats have sparked significant fears in the South Asian community and beyond.
“I know there is some Chinese businessmen who received calls or letters, and same as white people. It’s not just limited to one community, it will spread like fire,” he said.
Sahota said he’s heard of up to 100 such extortion letters sent to businesses in Abbotsford, Langley and Surrey.
In a leaked Abbotsford police memo confirmed by Global News, investigators said they believed the suspects were linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, based in India.
That same organization allegedly took responsibility for killing Punjabi rapper Sidhu Moose Walla, who had roots in Ontario, in 2022 as well as as Sukhdool Singh Gill in Winnipeg in September.
“This gang is very dangerous. They have done very daring acts in India and abroad, even they took responsible for killing someone in Winnipeg, on Canadian soil,” Sahota said.
Sahota said there are growing calls in the community for police to step up both activity and communication with the public about how they’re handling the case.
The provincial and federal government also need to involved themselves more visibly, he said, and should potentially involve CSIS given the possible international connection.
“They are feeling very helpless,” he said.
Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth told Global News Thursday that police are taking the threats “very seriously.”
“My ministry has been working with local police interjurisdictionally and at the federal level because it is a multi-jurisdictional issue,” he said.
But Farnworth said police are limited in what they can do without victims coming forward.
“It’s critically important they go to the police, and they can do that in ways that maintains their anonymity or very confidential, but they need to go forward to the police, that’s what the police need because that’s how they can break these cases,” he said.
Investigators have urged anyone who gets an extortion letter, text or call not to engage with them, not to send any money and to contact police immediately.