BC Police Charge 3 Individuals in Connection With Extortion-Related Surrey Shooting

A bullet hole is seen in the window of a cafe as a worker tapes plastic sheeting over the windows, in Surrey, B.C., on July 10, 2025. The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck

Three individuals have been arrested and are facing charges in connection with a March shooting in Surrey, B.C., which police say could be related to an extortion investigation.

A residence in the 13300 block of 89A Avenue in Surrey was damaged by several gunshots around 1:55 a.m. on March 27, the Surrey Police Service (SPS) said in an Oct. 6 news release. No one was injured as a result of the shooting, police noted.

Police say the victim contacted SPS later that day and the SPS Serious Crime Unit conducted an investigation in collaboration with its Frontline Investigative Support Team. During the investigation, police determined the incident was related to an ongoing extortion investigation, the release says.

Police also identified three suspects during the investigation and carried out numerous search warrants, SPS says.

Police say Mandeep Gidda, 23, Nirmaandeep Cheema, 20, and Arundeep Singh, 26, were arrested on Oct. 3 and have been charged with one count each of recklessly discharging a firearm.

“These three arrests and charges are a positive step forward as Surrey Police Service continues to aggressively tackle the issue of extortions in collaboration with Provincial Extortions Task Force and other policing partners across the country,” SPS Chief Constable Norm Lipinski said in an Oct. 6 statement.

“Enforcement and all investigative tactics will continue to ramp up as we work together to bring these criminals to justice.”

Gidda and Cheema were expected to appear in court on Oct. 6, while Singh is set to appear in court on Oct. 8, SPS says.

The police department also says South Asian individuals and businesses have been the primary victims of extortion threats in Surrey and across the country.

“In response, SPS stood up its own Extortion Investigations Team and launched a reward and tip line in collaboration with the City of Surrey,” SPS says.

The reward and tip line was launched on Sept. 15 and involves a fund of $250,000 that offers individuals a reward for information leading to charges or convictions in extortion-related cases, SPS said in a Sept. 15 news release.

The city and the province have both expressed concern over the growing number of cases targeting members of the South Asian community, which often involve threatening demands for money via letters, phone calls, texts, or social media.

Additionally, SPS is part of the Provincial Extortions Task Force, which includes 40 members from various municipal policing agencies in the province, B.C. RCMP, and the Canada Border Services Agency.

The task force was launched on Sept. 17 and came in response to several homes and businesses being sprayed with bullets. Dozens of threats and some of the associated attacks have also been depicted on social media by the apparent perpetrators.

SPS Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton told The Epoch Times on Oct. 6 that there have been 56 reported extortions in Surrey this year so far, with 31 related “shots fired” incidents.

Carolina Avendano and Jennifer Cowan contributed to this report.