Trio pleads guilty, sentenced in extortion

Trio pleads guilty, sentenced in extortion-related Surrey shooting

All 3 men are foreign nationals from India, but will serve their sentences in Canada

Three men have pleaded guilty in what police say are among British Columbia's first extortion-related convictions.

The charges against them relate to a shooting and fire outside a home in Surrey's Crescent Beach neighbourhood on Feb. 1.

The trio, all Indian nationals, were arrested in a rideshare vehicle as they attempted to flee the scene.

"I think these are the first convictions and sentencing in any of our [extortion] files," Surrey Police Service Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton said.

"And in fact, they may actually be some of the first in British Columbia. So hopefully that's the start of a trend where we see more guilty pleas and more sentences."

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Taranveer Singh pleaded guilty to reckless discharge of a firearm and was sentenced to five years in prison, Surrey police said on Wednesday.

After credit for time served, he'll serve nearly 4.5 more years behind bars.

Dayajeet Billing and Harjot Singh both pleaded guilty to throwing an explosive substance, and were sentenced to just over two years each in prison.

After credit for time served, Billings will spend another 20 months behind bars, while Harjot Singh will serve 18 more months, followed by two years of probation each.

Protest held against extortion wave in Surrey as 3 foreign nationals charged

Houghton added that while none of the men were charged with extortion, police believe the attack was extortion related.

He said all three will serve their sentences in Canada, and that the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) will decide what happens to them afterward.

In a statement, the CBSA said it is legally obligated to remove foreign nationals found to be inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, with a priority on cases involving criminality and organized crime — though not until they serve their time.

"The CBSA takes steps to ensure their removal order can be enforced as soon as possible afterward, once all legal avenues of recourse that can stay a removal have been exhausted," the statement reads.

Wade Deisman, a criminologist at the University of the Fraser Valley, said the sentences were encouraging, noting that all three men will spend time in federal prison.

"It signals to the community that the folks who are involved in this are not just going to get a ticket to leave the country, they're actually going to have to pay a price," he said.

At the same time, he said the public remains largely in the dark about details such as motive, and who is masterminding the extortion operations.

Deisman said frustration is growing over the "dribs and drabs" of information coming from police and public safety officials about the investigations.

Key details, like the involvement of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang in recent incidents, have been revealed by the media, not law enforcement, he said.

"There is a still a greater need to be able to see inside these cases so that the community has a better understanding of how the operation works so that they can better protect themselves," he said.

As of June 8, Surrey police had recorded 122 reported extortions, 19 related shots-fired calls and two arsons in 2026.

Houghton said police responded to 10 shootings in January alone, but that the number of incidents have dropped significantly in recent months.

He said the men who pleaded guilty were arrested with the help of a program called Project Assurance that has police "proactively patrol" residential and business areas targeted by extortion.

"This has been a very quick turnaround, so guilty pleas are a good thing," Houghton said.

"It provides closure in the immediacy and the sentences should hopefully send a message."