Surrey and neighbouring areas are home to Canada’s largest Punjabi diaspora, with many immigrants working in construction, trucking, real estate and hospitality. Their visible success has made them primary targets for extortion threats, investigators say. CBC News has reported that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has linked the India-based Lawrence Bishnoi gang to some extortion threats in the South Asian community. Extortion calls and WhatsApp messages, often traced to India, demand payments ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars. Story continues below this adPolice data shows more than 132 extortion attempts were reported in 2025, with nearly 50 involving gunfire.