BC, Ottawa Announce Joint Efforts to Address Extortion Targeting BC Communities

Ottawa and the government of B.C. have announced $1 million in funding to support victims of extortion, as cases rise in the province.

The announcement followed a meeting of the B.C. Extortion Task Force, which was established in September and is made up of representatives from the RCMP, the Canada Border Services Agency, and other local law enforcement agencies. The federal government said the goal of the task force was to “dismantle organized crime networks.”

Metro Vancouver police said they are investigating 44 extortion cases, including 27 that involved shootings targeting businesses, homes, and vehicles. In Surrey, Abbotsford, and Delta, police said there have been more than 100 extortion incidents reported in 2025 alone.

Federal Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree made the funding announcement in B.C. during a Nov. 28 news conference alongside Premier David Eby, as well as other federal and provincial officials.

Anandasangaree said the extortion crimes were all about money and “poly-criminality,” which is the combination of multiple criminal activities.

“Ultimately, this is about money. The people who are involved in these heinous crimes, who are bad people whose singular focus is money. And it’s not about what they do to get the money. It’s about the end goal. So they are involved in drug trafficking. They’re involved in a number of different [acts] of organized criminal behavior,” he told reporters during the news conference.

The federal government said it will provide $500,000 over two years and the province will provide an additional $500,000. The federal portion will be provided through the Justice Canada’s Victims Fund. It will cover the cost of hiring four additional victim service and community outreach workers to assist the BC Extortion Task Force and local police.

Eby said the money would be to help victims of extortion develop a “safety plan.”

“They can work with the civilians and with the police officers to make a safety plan so they feel safe at home, or if they have to leave home temporarily, they have a safe place to go,” Eby said during the news conference.

The premier said there was a “huge amount of urgency.”

“Anyone who is facing these threats, they cannot rest at home and feel comfortable and safe. They’re worried about their businesses.”

Public Safety Canada said the joint funding will also be used to develop and translate public resources, like webpages, to “improve cultural relevance and accessibility.” The money will also be used for safety planning and to purchase police equipment for victim safety.

B.C. said it would also be developing an “online information hub” for victims.

Drug and Gang Team

As part of the joint announcement, the province and federal government said a regional integrated drug enforcement team has been established with $4 million from Ottawa over the next four years. The money will be provided through Canada’s Border Plan, the federal government said.

The team will be comprised of law and border enforcement resources from multiple agencies and jurisdictions. It will focus on organized drug crime and extortion.

Ottawa said that an additional $200,000 has been provided to police for extortion cases that fall outside the extortion task force’s mandate. The money has been provided through the federal Gun and Gang Violence Action Fund.

Wanted Man Arrested in India

Hours before the government announcement, police in Delhi said they had arrested the “prime conspirator” behind extortion-linked shootings at a B.C. cafe. Bandhu Maan Singh Sekhon, 28, is alleged to have left Canada for India after being charged with multiple offences in Ontario.

Authorities said Sekhon arrived in Canada in September 2023 on a work visa. He is alleged to have confessed his role in three shootings at Kap’s Café, located in Surrey and owned by Indian comedian Kapil Sharma. The shootings took place in 2025 on July 10, Aug. 7, and Oct. 16, with video from the point of view of the shooters in vehicles being shared on social media. No one was hurt in the incidents.

Social media postings said the shooting was “a warning.”

Anandasangaree said he was aware of the arrest of an individual “allegedly involved with an act in British Columbia.”

Bishnoi Gang

The funding announcement comes about two months after the federal government added the Bishnoi Gang to its list of terrorist entities. The government said the group has been involved in criminal and violent acts, including murder and extortion.

Anandasangaree said that the group had specifically targeted South Asian communities in Canada.

“The Bishnoi Gang creates a climate of insecurity for Canadians in diaspora communities as it targets them, their prominent community members, their businesses, as well as cultural figures within the community,” Public Safety Canada says in its official terrorist listing.

The group was named after leader and founder Lawrence Bishnoi. He is said to have operated the group despite being jailed since 2015. The gang has been linked to high-profile shootings and assassinations in India.

The group gained attention in Canada after RCMP said it was being used by the Indian government to conduct criminal activities and to target specific communities inside the country.

The RCMP accused Indian government agents of being involved in homicides, extortion, intimidation, and coercion, with pro-Khalistan individuals being particularly targeted. Khalistanis are of the Sikh faith and look to carve out an independent country of India’s Punjab. Canada has the largest population of Sikhs outside Punjab.

Noé Chartier and The Canadian Press contributed to this report.