In September 2025, the BC RCMP launched the Extortion Task Force to combat rising levels of extortion-related crime, the vast majority of which has targeted the South Asian community.Four months later, the agency says progress is being made."Yes, there's been an uptick in the new year," RCMP Assistant Commissioner John Brewer said during a press conference on Tuesday, noting that there have been 35 cases this month in Surrey alone. "We are now actively hunting these extortionists and they know we're hunting them."He argued that criminals are "changing their MO because we're hunting them," declaring, "we will root them out from every dark corner they try to hide in, and we will either put them before the courts, or they will be deported."Despite the jump in cases, Brewer maintained that things were under control."There's not a crisis," he declared. "A crisis is what's happening out there with drug overdoses. People are dying. This is a threat to public safety.".Brewer later explained that while it may be a crisis for impacted individuals, by labelling it as such at a societal level, one runs the risk of scaring people into taking the law into their own hands.He was also asked about vigilantism following reports of victims allegedly firing back at the criminals who targeted their homes."When someone feels they're so at risk they have to take the law into their own hands, here's what I would say: 'Don't. You're risking harm to yourself and others. Let the police do their job'," Brewer said, adding, "there's no need for anybody to take the law in their hands or engage in overt acts of self-defence."Since its inception, the task force has taken over 32 files from Lower Mainland police. A total of 100 judicial authorizations have been obtained, seven people have been charged, and 111 foreign nationals have been investigated over alleged Immigration and Refugee Protection Act-related offences. Of those, nine have been deported.
