Vehicle’s failure to stop leads to charges in Surrey gang investigation

Editor’s note: Gurmeet Mathroo pleaded guilty in February 2019 to the dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, while the charge of obstructing a police officer was stayed. He received a conditional discharge and 12 months’ probation, including a one-year driving ban and 25 hours of community work.

Two Surrey men are facing charges following an investigation by the Surrey RCMP Gang Enforcement Team.

Nineteen-year-old Gurmeet Mathroo and 21-year-old Anhad Virk are each facing one count of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and one count of obstructing a police officer. The charges stem from an incident last fall.

On Oct. 25, 2018, officers from SGET were strategically targeting individuals they say were known to police because of alleged associations to the Lower Mainland gang conflict. Officers attempted to stop a vehicle they suspected was involved in drug trafficking. The vehicle allegedly failed to stop and then fled from police.

Following an investigation, charges against Mathroo and Virk were approved on Jan. 7, 2019. Mathroo has since been released and Virk remains in custody.

“This investigation is an example of Surrey RCMP’s diligence and dedication in investigating and interdicting individuals involved in the gang lifestyle in the Lower Mainland,” Supt. Shawn Gill, community services officer, said in a release.

Police say Virk is a current Provincial Tactical Enforcement Priority (PTEP) target. PTEP enables law enforcement agencies to coordinate intelligence on gang and organized crime targets.

“Public safety remains the Surrey RCMP’s number one priority, our investigations do not simply end when a vehicle drives away,“ Gill said.