Three foreign nationals arrested by officers on an anti-extortion patrol in Surrey over the weekend have been charged after a home in the B.C. city was targeted with gunfire.
Harjot Singh, 21, Taranveer Singh, 19, and Dayajeet Singh Billing, 21, were arrested in connection with the incident during the early morning hours of Feb. 1, Surrey police said in a press release. Each man faces one count of discharging a firearm, and all have been remanded into custody until Feb. 5.
The officers apprehended the suspects following an early morning report of gunfire and a small fire outside a residence in the Crescent Beach area of Surrey, the Feb. 2 press release said.
Police report that the three men were apprehended soon after the gunfire while inside a rideshare vehicle.
Two suspects sustained injuries during the arrest. One had two noticeable black eyes, as depicted in the photo shared by police, while the other had a less visible black eye.
Surrey police Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton told reporters on Feb. 1 that the first suspect refused to follow officers’ instructions to get out of the vehicle and “actively” resisted. The suspect was subsequently taken to the ground and was handcuffed, he said.
Houghton said the second suspect with a black eye was also injured during the arrest after he refused to comply.
Police said photos of the suspects have been released in an effort to gather additional information about the men from the public.
Houghton said the Canada Border Services Agency is also part of the investigation because the men are foreign nationals, and they may face additional charges as a result. It is unclear if the men are in the country on tourist visas, a study permit, or a work permit, but Houghton noted that the CBSA has initiated its own inquiry into the men’s status.
Extortion Crisis
The arrests mark the latest development in the ongoing extortion racket targeting business owners and residents in Surrey, B.C., and the surrounding Lower Mainland.
Extortion-related crimes have been a major issue for the city for more than two years, with the origins of the criminal activities dating back to at least 2023. The crisis saw a marked escalation throughout 2025 and has carried on into 2026.
Surrey police have opened investigations into 46 extortion cases in 2026 alone, police said, noting that the arresting officers were part of Project Assurance, a patrol program to monitor neighbourhoods that have been affected by extortion-related violence.
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke last month called on Ottawa to classify the extortion violence as a national emergency, and the city’s council has passed a motion to urge the federal government to address the “crisis.” Locke has said one of its actions should be the appointment of a commissioner for extortion-related offences.
Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree announced last week that the federal government would send 20 additional RCMP officers to Surrey to tackle violence associated with extortion, and that helicopters would also be deployed.
The RCMP officer will be aiding the British Columbia Extortion Task Force that is already in place to investigate the extortion-related crimes.
RCMP Assistant Commissioner John Brewer told reporters during his four-month update in January that multiple groups are involved in the ongoing criminal activities that primarily target members of the South Asian community.
He said the task force is “actively hunting” suspects in 32 files across the Lower Mainland and that police have connected several shootings in recent weeks to extortion that has resulted in gunfire impacting both businesses and residences.
The task force released data on Jan. 20 indicating that seven people had been charged so far and nine individuals had been deported as part of 111 investigations into the admissibility of foreign nationals.
The Canadian Press contributed to this report
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