Extortion Cases on Rise in BC; Doval Visits Canada

Three Sikh men have been charged after an alleged extortion-related shooting in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. 21-year-old Harjot Singh, 19-year-old Taranveer Singh, and 21-year-old Dayajeet Singh Billing have each been charged with one count of discharging a firearm. Surrey, a city of about 600K residents, has seen a surge in extortion-linked violence, particularly targeting businesses. 46 extortion cases have been reported in the city since the start of 2026, including 11 incidents involving gunfire and one arson attack. More than half of the victims are repeat targets. Community concern has grown, with residents holding rallies to call for stronger action against organized crime and intimidation. Meanwhile, through a seven-month investigation, dubbed Project South, York police have arrested seven serving Toronto police officers and one retired officer and charged them in an organized crime investigation involving bribery, conspiracy to commit murder, and drug trafficking. Police said the officers had collected personal and private information unlawfully and distributed it to organized crime figures, in some cases for bribes and extortions. Officers who are now suspects have been suspended and the police is seeking suspension without pay for at least four of them. BC Premier David Eby said, 'There’s no excuse for shooting at someone’s house. There’s no excuse for threatening families in their homes.' Eby has announced the chair of a new community advisory group that’s been set up to liaise with the BC Extortion Task Force. Concurrently, India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval was on a two-day trip to Canada, where he held talks with Nathalie Drouin, Deputy Clerk and National Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, as part of a bilateral security dialogue between the two sides. The talks between Doval and Drouin provided a clear reset in India-Canada ties and sent a strong message that ‘violent extremist groups’ do not enjoy the support of the Canadian government. This is Doval’s first visit after 2023 when Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, supposedly backed by India. As the two countries look forward to future engagements, both sides have expressed optimism about increased cooperation in other areas such as trade, culture, and technology (earlier coverage).