Growing evidence of the involvement of Indian youth in a recent rise in extortion and shooting incidents at business and residential properties, particularly in areas largely inhabited by the Indian diaspora, has begun to draw sustained media attention in Canada.

Following the arrest of two “foreigners” by Surrey police last week, three additional “foreigners” have been taken into custody. All five individuals are Punjabi youth who do not have legal status in Canada. This status is why they are described as “foreigners” in Canadian police and immigration terminology.

The latest arrests were made on February 1 by the Surrey Police Service (SPS) in connection with a shooting incident.

Typically, police do not release photographs of suspects until charges are tested in court. However, in the past two cases, the Surrey Police Service has made the unusual decision to release images of the accused to seek public assistance as part of ongoing investigations into extortion cases that have affected several parts of Canada over the past year.

According to SPS, officers assigned to Project Assurance, working alongside the Major Crime Section, were patrolling Surrey’s Crescent Beach neighborhood in the early hours of February 1 when reports were received of shots fired and a small fire outside a residence. Three suspects were arrested as they attempted to enter a rideshare vehicle.

The Major Crime Section has assumed conduct of the investigation. Harjot Singh, 21, Taranveer Singh, 19, and Dayajeet Singh Billing, 21, have been charged under multiple sections of the law, including discharging a firearm into a place.

The investigation remains ongoing, and police have indicated that additional charges may follow.

All three accused were remanded into custody after SPS confirmed they are foreign nationals and notified the Canada Border Services Agency.

In a statement accompanying the release of the suspects’ photographs, SPS said the public dissemination of the images is intended to encourage additional witnesses, victims, or associates to come forward with information related to the activities of one or more of the accused on or before the morning of February 1.

Earlier, SPS had released images of two Punjabi youth arrested in connection with a similar early morning shooting outside a Surrey residence. Investigators are now focusing on “outsiders” for their alleged involvement in shooting and extortion cases, reinforcing claims frequently raised within the Indian community, and particularly the Punjabi community, that “Indian gangsters” may be behind these transnational criminal activities.

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