Conservative MLAs Reissue Statement and Renew Demands for Action After Extortion-Linked Shooting in Surrey
Surrey, BC – Following a second targeted shooting at a family home in Surrey’s Panorama Ridge neighbourhood, now being investigated by Surrey Police Service as an extortion case, Conservative Attorney General Critic Steve Kooner is reissuing his May 21, 2025, statement and is renewing his demands for urgent government action.
Despite visible police surveillance, the property was repeatedly attacked with dozens of gunshots. The case is currently being investigated as organised criminal extortion.
Local Conservative MLA for Surrey-Panorama and Critic for Community Safety Bryan Tepper stated, “The NDP’s inaction and the courts’ lethargy have unleashed chaos, letting organised crime run rampant. Families live in fear as bullets fly, with no end in sight to this escalating nightmare. These criminals have no fear of the police because they know: Even if arrested, they will face no consequences.”
MLA for Richmond-Queensborough Steve Kooner added, “We are urgently reissuing our May 21ststatement because the NDP government still refuse to address the violent criminal extortions targeting British Columbians. Another family has now been targeted in Surrey, in what police are calling a possible extortion case.
“This is organised crime brazenly operating on our streets and, once again, the Attorney General is nowhere to be found. The NDP’s silence is dangerous and inexcusable. British Columbians, especially those in the South Asian business community, deserve safety, support, and serious action from this government.”
MLA Kooner’s original press release – issued May 21, 2025, and titled Extorted and Ignored: NDP Abandon South Asian Businesses – continues in full below.
-ORIGINAL STATEMENT BELOW-
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 21, 2025
Extorted and Ignored: NDP Abandon South Asian Businesses
“These aren’t isolated incidents: We’re seeing a coordinated campaign of intimidation, and in some cases, the same extortion tactics and notes linked to violent attacks in other provinces. This is organised crime targeting British Columbians and, as usual, the NDP are looking the other way.”
–Steve Kooner, Critic for Attorney General & MLA for Richmond-Queensborough
RICHMOND, BC: Conservative MLA for Richmond-Queensborough and Attorney General Critic Steve Kooner is calling on the NDP government and the Attorney General of British Columbia, Niki Sharma, to take immediate action following a high profile killing in Ontario that involved similar tactics used in BC extortion cases.
“These aren’t isolated incidents: We’re seeing a coordinated campaign of intimidation, and in some cases, the same extortion tactics and notes linked to violent attacks in other provinces,” said MLA Kooner. “This is organised crime targeting British Columbians and, as usual, the NDP are looking the other way.”
South Asian businesses are an important part of the British Columbian economy, but lately they have been victims of extortion and intimidation by organised gangs. Despite this, the Attorney General’s latest mandate letter and recent actions make no reference to the valid fears held by the South Asian business community.
“The NDP’s lack of acknowledgement sends a chilling message: If you are a successful businessperson in BC, don’t expect protection,” said MLA Kooner. “Instead of defending BC businesses, the Attorney General is avoiding responsibility.”
Conservatives are calling on the NDP government to enact the following:
1. Partner with South Asian businesses to rebuild trust with law enforcement
2. Launch anonymous, multilingual reporting hotlines for extortion cases
3. Close loopholes and ensure quicker convictions for intimidation and extortion
4. Work with the federal government to increase penalties for organised crime extortion and intimidation cases, including deportation for foreign nationals,
5. Establish a joint task force between the RCMP and local law enforcement in British Columbia to address increased transnational crime across the province
6. Improve international cooperation on extradition and foreign crime financing
7. Investigate foreign organised crime in BC, especially alleged ties to India
“The NDP talk endlessly about inclusion and equality,” said Kooner. “But when BC’s South Asian business owners face threats of real danger, they do nothing.”
Conservatives stand with British Columbia’s South Asian business community and will continue to hold the government accountable by defending victims of organised crime and advancing common-sense solutions the NDP refuse to consider.
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Media Contact: [email protected]
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