2 injured in unprovoked attack at business in Surrey, B.C.
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Police are investigating two unprovoked assaults at a Surrey business Sunday morning that left one man in hospital and another injured.
Surrey Police Service (SPS) officers responded to the incident shortly before 11:30 a.m. at an unspecified business in the 6400 block of 120 Street.
Police say a man first physically assaulted a staff member, then attacked a bystander with a weapon, believed to be a knife, when they tried to intervene.
The staff member was treated at the scene, while the bystander was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to officials.
SPS says the suspect, who was not known to the victims, fled eastbound on 64 Avenue toward 121 Street.
He is described as a South Asian man, about 30 years old, six feet one inch tall, with a heavy build, wearing a light-coloured, possibly purple, hoodie, beige pants, and white shoes and may still be carrying a knife.
Surrey RCMP's Provincial Operations Support Unit is leading the investigation with SPS officers.
Police are asking anyone with information or video footage of the suspect to contact investigators immediately.
Authorities urge the public not to approach the suspect and to call 911 if they see him.
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The Province
15 hours ago
- The Province
Few B.C. arrests in heightened extortion battle frustrating for Surrey residents, officials
As bullets fly in B.C., police in Ontario and Alberta have made arrests in a series of similar extortions. Nijjar Trucking owner Raghbir Singh Nijjar at his Surrey truck yard on Friday. The business was shot up Thursday night in a possible extortion attempt. Nijjar is having more CCTV cameras installed. Photo by Jason Payne / PNG The head of a national team set up to support police departments investigating cases of extortion in cities across Canada said Surrey's municipal police force is working well with the RCMP, but could not comment on why significant arrests have been made in Ontario and Alberta and not B.C. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors RCMP Supt. Adam MacIntosh said there is a high level of 'competence and cooperation' between SPS and RCMP officers investigating the series of extortions targeting South Asian businesses. His team was created in the fall of 2023 to increase coordination between police departments in Canadian cities, such as Brampton, Edmonton and Surrey, which were all seeing a rise in extortion cases at that time. Since then, police in Brampton and Edmonton have made arrests, while the attacks in Surrey appear to be ramping up again, with two more shootings this week, including one at Surrey's Nijjar Trucking and another at the Maple Ridge home of a Punjabi music producer. Bullet holes and boarded-up windows at a residence in Maple Ridge June 19, 2025. Photo by Jason Payne / PNG MacIntosh was unable to comment on any possible links between the extortions in Brampton and Edmonton and those in Surrey, including the suggestion that the Bishnoi gang, an organized crime group based in India, might be connected to the violence in Surrey. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Earlier this week, B.C. Premier David Eby asked the federal government to classify the gang as a terrorist group. Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke said Thursday the lack of clarity on who is behind the extortions is frustrating. 'That's why I'm calling on the province and our national police, the RCMP, to really put their shoulder into this,' she said. The possibility of international organized crime involvement means 'it's going to take our national police.' Speaking at a public safety forum last weekend, the mayor said a single national dashboard that flags extortion incidents within hours, not weeks, is needed. She also wants a joint provincial-federal task force to audit the impact of the Surrey police transition on 'organized crime activity with the authority to redirect resources on the spot.' Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke. Photo by NICK PROCAYLO / PNG 'Policing is not an experiment,' she said in reference to the transition. 'We are not getting the kind of service and attention that we need in order to keep our citizens safe. Not just from Surrey Police Service and not just from E-division RCMP, but the entire nation. What happens right now in Surrey falls squarely on the province's shoulders. How it is fixed — and make no mistake, it must be fixed — falls squarely on the provincial government.' MacIntosh said timely information about extortions is being shared between police departments. He encouraged the public to continue to report extortion attempts to police. While he was not able to comment on links between extortions across Canada, he said it is clear organized crime groups are motivated by profit, and some groups see 'extortion as an easy way to make a profit.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. One way to counter that is to take away the profitability, whether through arrests, or by reporting attempts to police, he said. 'If people are paying and not telling us, that works in the favour of organized crime.' As reported by CBC News Edmonton this week, court records show an extortion scheme that targeted South Asian homebuilders in Alberta for several months in 2023 and 2024 had links to B.C.'s Brothers Keepers gang. A Canada-wide arrest warrant was issued for Maninder Dhaliwal in 2024. Photo by Shaughn Butts / Shaughn Butts Edmonton Police Service arrested six people in July 2024 as part of Project Gaslight, a special investigation into 34 extortions, which included arsons and shootings. A seventh person, Maninder Dhaliwal, who was suspected of orchestrating the attacks from abroad, remained at large for several months until he was arrested in the United Arab Emirates on separate charges. Earlier this year, Edmonton police applied to have him extradited to Alberta to face charges, although Canada does not have an extradition treaty with UAE. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Divnoor Singh Asht, one of the men arrested last summer as part of Project Gaslight, recently pleaded guilty to arson, extortion and conspiring to commit extortion. An agreed statement of facts in the case said some of the group behind the Edmonton extortions were members of Brothers Keepers, although there was no evidence Asht was one of them, according to the CBC. He admitted to 'assembling and instructing the lower members of the group to carry out the extortion and related arsons. These actions were based on the direction and instruction of Maninder Dhaliwal and Harpreet Uppal, prior to his death.' Uppal's death in 2023 shocked many across Canada as his 11-year-old son was gunned down alongside him. The court records reported by CBC identified Uppal as a key part of the extortion scheme and a member of Brothers Keepers. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In a statement to Postmedia on Friday, Edmonton police spokesperson Cheryl Voordenhout said police are still investigating the extortion scheme, but cannot share details. Edmonton police are in close contact with police in B.C. and across Canada 'as we increasingly manage transnational crime groups.' She confirmed they are still pursuing Dhaliwal's extradition. During their investigation, Edmonton police enlisted the public's help to identify suspects, putting out several news releases on their progress and releasing surveillance photos of suspects buying and filling gas containers. The team had a dedicated tip line and email address. Police in B.C. have not linked the extortion scheme to the Brothers Keepers. The B.C. gang, which was started in about 2016 by the late Gavinder Grewal, has been locked in an eight-year gang conflict against shifting rivals including in the BIBO gang and the United Nations. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The extortions in Ontario appear to be linked to organized crime as well. On Monday, Peel police said they had dismantled a crime group involved in extortion and insurance fraud, arresting 18 people as part of Project Outsource. Nijjar Trucking in Surrey was shot at, which points to an extortion-motivated shooting. Photo by Jason Payne / PNG As reported by CTV News Ontario this week, the investigation was launched in 2023 after a sharp rise in extortions targeting the South Asian business community. 'The threats escalated into a variety of different offences, including drive-by shootings, arsons, a variety of acts of violence that spread fear and insecurity,' Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah said at a news conference this week. Police were able to link a Brampton-based crime group to the extortions, as well as a scheme where they allegedly staged dozens of collisions on Greater Toronto roads in an effort to defraud insurance companies. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Police seized four high-end personal vehicles, five stolen vehicles, six firearms, 600 rounds of ammunition, two bulletproof vests, and $45,000 in Canadian currency as they laid almost 100 charges, with more expected. Although the Bishnoi gang was not mentioned by police in the recent arrests, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said he was supportive of Eby's request to designate the gang as a terrorist group. Brown said Peel police told him a terrorist designation 'would be helpful' and the gang is involved in 'serious criminal activity' in Ontario. 'We're talking about extortions and murders in our region.' Asked about Eby's request Wednesday, federal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said national security officials 'continuously' review whether criminal organizations meet the legal threshold to be named as terrorist groups. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. RCMP have alleged that Indian diplomats shared information about Sikh separatists in Canada with the Indian government and that top Indian officials then passed the information to the Bishnoi gang. Brown said the gang has become more brazen in Brampton and local police have spotted vehicles with Bishnoi-affiliated decals in the city. 'They have over 700 shooters worldwide. They meet every threshold that is required to be designated as a terrorist organization,' he said. 'And if we can give police this tool to allow them to better combat this threat in Canada, I think that is a no-brainer.' With files from Canadian Press gluymes@ Read More
Vancouver Sun
16 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Few B.C. arrests in heightened extortion battle frustrating for Surrey residents, officials
The head of a national team set up to support police departments investigating cases of extortion in cities across Canada said Surrey's municipal police force is working well with the RCMP, but could not comment on why significant arrests have been made in Ontario and Alberta and not B.C. RCMP Supt. Adam MacIntosh said there is a high level of 'competence and cooperation' between SPS and RCMP officers investigating the series of extortions targeting South Asian businesses. His team was created in the fall of 2023 to increase coordination between police departments in Canadian cities, such as Brampton, Edmonton and Surrey, which were all seeing a rise in extortion cases at that time. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Since then, police in Brampton and Edmonton have made arrests, while the attacks in Surrey appear to be ramping up again, with two more shootings this week, including one at Surrey's Nijjar Trucking and another at the Maple Ridge home of a Punjabi music producer. MacIntosh was unable to comment on any possible links between the extortions in Brampton and Edmonton and those in Surrey, including the suggestion that the Bishnoi gang, an organized crime group based in India, might be connected to the violence in Surrey. Earlier this week, B.C. Premier David Eby asked the federal government to classify the gang as a terrorist group. Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke said Thursday the lack of clarity on who is behind the extortions is frustrating. 'That's why I'm calling on the province and our national police, the RCMP, to really put their shoulder into this,' she said. The possibility of international organized crime involvement means 'it's going to take our national police.' Speaking at a public safety forum last weekend, the mayor said a single national dashboard that flags extortion incidents within hours, not weeks, is needed. She also wants a joint provincial-federal task force to audit the impact of the Surrey police transition on 'organized crime activity with the authority to redirect resources on the spot.' 'Policing is not an experiment,' she said in reference to the transition. 'We are not getting the kind of service and attention that we need in order to keep our citizens safe. Not just from Surrey Police Service and not just from E-division RCMP, but the entire nation. What happens right now in Surrey falls squarely on the province's shoulders. How it is fixed — and make no mistake, it must be fixed — falls squarely on the provincial government.' MacIntosh said timely information about extortions is being shared between police departments. He encouraged the public to continue to report extortion attempts to police. While he was not able to comment on links between extortions across Canada, he said it is clear organized crime groups are motivated by profit, and some groups see 'extortion as an easy way to make a profit.' One way to counter that is to take away the profitability, whether through arrests, or by reporting attempts to police, he said. 'If people are paying and not telling us, that works in the favour of organized crime.' As reported by CBC News Edmonton this week, court records show an extortion scheme that targeted South Asian homebuilders in Alberta for several months in 2023 and 2024 had links to B.C.'s Brothers Keepers gang. Edmonton Police Service arrested six people in July 2024 as part of Project Gaslight, a special investigation into 34 extortions, which included arsons and shootings. A seventh person, Maninder Dhaliwal, who was suspected of orchestrating the attacks from abroad, remained at large for several months until he was arrested in the United Arab Emirates on separate charges. Earlier this year, Edmonton police applied to have him extradited to Alberta to face charges, although Canada does not have an extradition treaty with UAE. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Divnoor Singh Asht, one of the men arrested last summer as part of Project Gaslight, recently pleaded guilty to arson, extortion and conspiring to commit extortion. An agreed statement of facts in the case said some of the group behind the Edmonton extortions were members of Brothers Keepers, although there was no evidence Asht was one of them, according to the CBC. He admitted to 'assembling and instructing the lower members of the group to carry out the extortion and related arsons. These actions were based on the direction and instruction of Maninder Dhaliwal and Harpreet Uppal, prior to his death.' Uppal's death in 2023 shocked many across Canada as his 11-year-old son was gunned down alongside him. The court records reported by CBC identified Uppal as a key part of the extortion scheme and a member of Brothers Keepers. In a statement to Postmedia on Friday, Edmonton police spokesperson Cheryl Voordenhout said police are still investigating the extortion scheme, but cannot share details. Edmonton police are in close contact with police in B.C. and across Canada 'as we increasingly manage transnational crime groups.' She confirmed they are still pursuing Dhaliwal's extradition. During their investigation, Edmonton police enlisted the public's help to identify suspects, putting out several news releases on their progress and releasing surveillance photos of suspects buying and filling gas containers. The team had a dedicated tip line and email address. Police in B.C. have not linked the extortion scheme to the Brothers Keepers. The B.C. gang, which was started in about 2016 by the late Gavinder Grewal, has been locked in an eight-year gang conflict against shifting rivals including in the BIBO gang and the United Nations. The extortions in Ontario appear to be linked to organized crime as well. On Monday, Peel police said they had dismantled a crime group involved in extortion and insurance fraud, arresting 18 people as part of Project Outsource. As reported by CTV News Ontario this week, the investigation was launched in 2023 after a sharp rise in extortions targeting the South Asian business community. 'The threats escalated into a variety of different offences, including drive-by shootings, arsons, a variety of acts of violence that spread fear and insecurity,' Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah said at a news conference this week. Police were able to link a Brampton-based crime group to the extortions, as well as a scheme where they allegedly staged dozens of collisions on Greater Toronto roads in an effort to defraud insurance companies. Police seized four high-end personal vehicles, five stolen vehicles, six firearms, 600 rounds of ammunition, two bulletproof vests, and $45,000 in Canadian currency as they laid almost 100 charges, with more expected. Although the Bishnoi gang was not mentioned by police in the recent arrests, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said he was supportive of Eby's request to designate the gang as a terrorist group. Brown said Peel police told him a terrorist designation 'would be helpful' and the gang is involved in 'serious criminal activity' in Ontario. 'We're talking about extortions and murders in our region.' Asked about Eby's request Wednesday, federal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said national security officials 'continuously' review whether criminal organizations meet the legal threshold to be named as terrorist groups. RCMP have alleged that Indian diplomats shared information about Sikh separatists in Canada with the Indian government and that top Indian officials then passed the information to the Bishnoi gang. Brown said the gang has become more brazen in Brampton and local police have spotted vehicles with Bishnoi-affiliated decals in the city. 'They have over 700 shooters worldwide. They meet every threshold that is required to be designated as a terrorist organization,' he said. 'And if we can give police this tool to allow them to better combat this threat in Canada, I think that is a no-brainer.' With files from Canadian Press gluymes@
The Province
a day ago
- The Province
Bullets fly in Maple Ridge, Surrey as more homes and business targeted
Both the Maple Ridge home and the Surrey business have been threatened before, although police wouldn't say if either of the recent shootings has been linked to extortion Bullet holes and boarded-up windows at a residence in Maple Ridge on Thursday. Photo by Jason Payne / PNG Back-to-back shootings this week — one at a palatial home owned by a Punjabi music producer, the other at an industrial park near the Fraser River — suggest the violence targeting B.C.'s South Asian community hasn't abated despite increased attention from authorities. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Both the Maple Ridge home and the Surrey business have been threatened before, although police wouldn't say if either of the recent shootings has been linked to extortion. 'People are concerned, and I think they should be concerned,' said Reeta Tremblay, a professor emerita in the University of Victoria's political science department. 'But I think it's good we are talking about it, that this is being brought out into the open.' Tremblay said it's important to counter the violence — and fears that it may be connected to organized crime groups with roots in India — by addressing it head-on. She applauded B.C. Premier David Eby for asking the federal government to classify the Lawrence Bishnoi gang as a terrorist group earlier this week. The premier said the Indian gang had been linked to some extortions. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It's a step in the right direction,' said Tremblay. 'It recognizes that this is a problem.' She was also heartened to see Canada strengthening ties with India at the recent G7 meeting, saying increased co-operation with Indian authorities will be key to rooting out international organized crime groups. But despite the increased political attention, the violence appeared to continue this week. Surrey police said they were called to a business in an industrial area on 116 Avenue early Thursday after a report of shots-fired. In the pre-dawn hours, they found several bullet casings and damage to buildings and vehicles. While there were employees on-site during the shooting, no one was injured. It was the second time police were called to the property in less than 24 hours. Early Wednesday, security guards chased away people who were pouring gasoline on vehicles. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. That same morning in Maple Ridge, RCMP responded to a call from a home that had been sprayed by bullets on the edge of the city. The large house on 266th Street, which appears to be for sale, was struck several times. Maple Ridge RCMP confirmed it was the second time the house had been threatened. At the end of May, officers were called to the same location after someone reported shots-fired. Asked if the shootings might be linked to an extortion attempt, an RCMP spokesperson said it was too early to tell, but confirmed police would be speaking to cops in other cities. Bullet holes at a residence on 266th Street in Maple Ridge on Thursday. Photo by Jason Payne / PNG Property records show the Maple Ridge home is owned by a Punjabi music producer who owns a successful record company. Past extortion attempts have also targeted people associated with the South Asian entertainment industry. In 2024, shots were fired at Punjabi music star AP Dhillon's Colwood home on Vancouver Island, while two cars in the driveway were set on fire. In 2023, shots were fired outside Bollywood singer and actor Gippy Grewal's home in West Vancouver. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In both cases, Indian media said the Bishnoi gang had claimed responsibility due to the men's ties to an Indian actor who was accused of hunting blackbuck, a sacred animal in the Bishnoi community. The actor, Salman Khan, had appeared in a music video for Dhillon. But others are more reluctant to link the Indian gang to the attacks happening in B.C. Former B.C. solicitor general Kash Heed accused Eby of 'raising Bishnoi's profile' by asking for the gang to be classified as a terrorist group. 'It's a political response when what is needed is an operational response,' he said. He said that while Bishnoi's name has certainly been mentioned by extortionists in their threats, it's unclear if the gang is behind the extortions, or if it's simply being invoked as an intimidation tactic. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke said the fact that it's unclear who is behind the attacks is challenging. 'That's why I'm calling on the province and our national police, the RCMP, to really put their shoulder into this,' she said. The possibility of international organized crime involvement means 'it's going to take our national police.' She wants to see police establish a tip line, as well as better co-ordination between the RCMP and police forces across the country. gluymes@ Read More
