Two police organizations have announced charges against five men in connection to separate extortion cases in Surrey, B.C.

The Surrey Police Service announced on Monday the arrest and charges against three men believed to be linked to an extortion investigation in the city.

The RCMP said hours later that charges had been laid against two men in a shooting and arson investigation in Surrey in August 2024, and both men have already been linked to a similar crime against Indo-Canadian pop star AP Dhillon. 

Mounties say Abjeet Kingra and Vikram Sharma are accused of discharging a firearm with intent and arson, while last week Kingra was sentence to six years in prison for discharging a firearm into Dhillon's home in Colwood, B.C. 

RCMP said last week the case is believed to be related to the India-Based Bishnoi gang and a warrant is out for the arrest of Sharma's, who is thought to have escaped to India. 

The Surrey Police Service said charges in their case stem from an early-morning shooting on March 27 in a residential area of the city where multiple shots were fired at the home.

The service said in a statement that no one was hurt and that its investigation eventually led police to believe the shooting was "related to an ongoing extortion investigation."

Police said Mandeep Gidda, Nirmaandeep Cheema and Arundeep Singh are due to appear in court this week. All three accused are in their twenties. 

The arrest comes a week after the federal government listed the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code. Police and politicians, including B.C. Premier David Eby, have linked the India-based gang to extortion-related crime in Canada. 

Surrey Police Service spokesman Lindsey Houghton told the media on Monday that it's not clear if the accused are tied to any gang or organized crime group. 

"We'll certainly have to see how the court process progresses. Individuals' backgrounds and potential affiliations often come out during the submission of evidence," said Houghton. 

When asked if the men are Canadian citizens, Houghton directed questions to the Canada Border Services Agency.

He said the men have no criminal records.

The charges came from "good, old-fashioned" police work, where investigators gathered physical and digital evidence at the scene, helping them to track down the men, Houghton said. 

"It just goes to highlight when usually post-event, after an incident happens, and we appeal to the public for information to come forward, whether in some cases that's dashcam or CCTV footage that actually does have results for our investigators," said Houghton.

He said there have been 56 reported extortion-related cases in Surrey so far this year, Houghton said. 

The City of Surrey also set up a $250,000 reward fund last month for information leading to convictions related to the extortion crimes. 

The charges come weeks after the RCMP announced a provincewide task force into the extortion cases, while departments in Surrey and Abbotsford launched their own specialized teams to investigate dozens of similar cases, many of them involving shootings. 

Surrey Police Chief Const. Norm Lipinski said the arrests and charges are a positive step as the force "aggressively" tackles the issue in collaboration with the provincial task force and other policing partners across the country. 

"Individuals and businesses primarily in the South Asian community are being victimized by threats of extortion in Surrey and across the country," the statement said. 

Duncan Pound, the RCMP's Lower Mainland assistant district commander, said in a statement that the dedicated task force is in a stronger position to pursue multiple suspect groups and advance their investigations. 

“We recognize that charges in one investigation, does not erase the community’s fear and concern regarding ongoing extortions,” Pound said in a statement. 

Surrey police are also investigating two separate shootings early Monday, one at a restaurant and another at a home. 

Police said the shooting at the residence happened while there were people inside, although no one was injured.

Houghton said police also received calls of shots fired outside of a South Surrey restaurant early Monday, and officers confirmed damage to an exterior wall was caused by gunshots. 

There are no reports of injuries and the business was closed at the time.

Houghton said the restaurant shooting is being looked at as a "possible extortion."

He said when various shots-fired cases occur in the city, there are often claims showing up on social media with people or groups taking credit for the crimes. 

"And we urge some caution and to take those claims with a fairly large grain of salt," said Houghton. 

"I know it might surprise people, but not everything you hear or see on social media is true," he added.