BC govt. recognizes significant concern regarding the ongoing extortion attempts

Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Garry Begg has released the following statement amid community concerns about public safety while extortion threats and organized crime stories are making headlines.

“We recognize the significant concern within the South Asian community regarding the ongoing extortion attempts by organized criminals.

“Recently, the Delta Police Department, with assistance from the Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team and the Peel Regional Police arrested two suspects in the murder case of an individual in Brampton, who was a victim of extortion. This serves as a reminder that this is a multi-jurisdictional issue that is not just happening in Surrey and Abbotsford, but in other cities across Canada.

“Tackling organized crime and gang violence is a shared responsibility across all levels of government. At the provincial level, we continue to take action to ensure British Columbians are safe from organized crime with more than $100 million allocated annually into specialized enforcement and intelligence programs targeting guns, gangs and illicit drug activities. At the national level, the federal RCMP established a National Coordination and Support team to work with police in B.C. and other provinces as well as international partners to coordinate efforts in these ongoing investigations.

“I cannot stress enough the importance of reporting any threats or extortion attempts to the police immediately. This information from the community is crucial for police for these complex investigations. Support for victims is available, so please reach out to your local police if you or someone that you know is or has been extorted”

“As this is an active and ongoing investigation, specific questions should be directed to the police. I take this matter extremely seriously, and I will personally attend Sunday's community meeting to hear residents' concerns firsthand and support police efforts in addressing this decisively.