Extortion of South Asian businesses continues

SHOTS were fired from a vehicle on Sunday night at a jewelry shop at the Payal Business Centre.

A video of the incident, posted on X (formerly twitter) by Punjabi journalist Gurpreet Singh Sahota, shows a vehicle driving up to ACC Jewellers. Then a barrage of shots can be heard from the stationary vehicle before it drives off.

Surrey RCMP, after The VOICE asked them for information about the incident, said that on March 18 at 2:52 a.m., they responded to a report of a glass-break alarm at a business located in the area of 80 Avenue and 128 Street. When officers arrived on scene, they located evidence consistent with a shooting. The business was closed at the time of the incident and no injuries were reported.

They added: “Initial information indicates that this was a targeted incident. Surrey RCMP General Investigation Unit has conduct of this investigation and are working to determine the motive. Anyone with information is asked to contact Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502.”

The suspect vehicle:

Shots were fired last night outside a jewelry shop at the Payal Business Centre in Surrey. This isn't the first occurrence in this plaza. pic.twitter.com/YXGuKviixO

— Gurpreet S. Sahota (@GurpreetSSahota) March 18, 2024

Last year, on November 23, RK Jewellers at the Payal Business Centre was targeted. Several shots were fired at the store just after 2 a.m.

The shootings at South Asian businesses and houses in the Lower Mainland as well as in Ontario and Alberta have been linked to extortion threats with connections to gangs in India.

Sunday’s brazen shooting has once again instilled fear and insecurity into the South Asian community. It shows that the gangsters are openly defying the police.

Last month, The VOICE reported that a nation-wide alliance of various police departments across Canada is in place to help coordinate and advance a series of threat/extortion investigations underway.

The RCMP National Coordination and Support Team (NCST) has been established and is working with police departments in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and outside of Canada to address a number of similar type extortion and violence investigations that have targeted South Asian individuals and businesses.

Over the past few months the various impacted police services have met with the NCS Team and shared information about their active and ongoing investigations, many of which have resulted in arrests and charges. These coordination efforts are not limited by geographic boundaries and police are using all available tools and techniques in place throughout our country and beyond.