Authorities in Surrey are once again delving into an incident involving a shooting believed to be connected to extortion.
Reports of gunshots in the vicinity of 28 Avenue and 144 Street drew the attention of Surrey Police Service officers shortly before 4 a.m. on a Friday.
Upon reaching the scene, law enforcement discovered multiple shell casings on 28 Avenue, according to the SPS.
Fortunately, no residences were hit by bullets, and there were no reports of injuries.
The police are linking this event to an ongoing investigation into extortion cases.
The investigation into targeted financial extortions by the RCMP began in late 2023. Victims have described receiving threats demanding significant sums of money, sometimes culminating in acts of violence or property damage if the demands were not met.
In response to an uptick in reported extortion threats, a specialized investigative team was established by Surrey police in June. This move followed 10 reports of such incidents in the preceding six months.
Subsequently, between June and July, an additional nine cases were reported.
In an effort to combat these threats, the B.C. government recently unveiled a $100,000 public awareness campaign. The initiative aims to educate the public on identifying and reporting extortion threats, with the goal of enhancing safety and awareness for individuals, businesses, and families.