A 21-year-old man has been charged in connection with an extortion-related shooting in South Surrey on Nov. 12.
Avtar Singh faces one charge of unlawfully discharging a firearm in connection with the Nov. 12 shooting in the 17000-block of 32 Avenue.
A rural mansion was hit by gunfire at about 7:35 p.m. that night – the second time in less than a week that the same house was shot. It was also previously hit by gunfire on Nov. 8.
Singh was arrested on Dec. 5 and is in custody in connection with the Nov. 12 shooting, notes a press release from BC RCMP. He is scheduled to make his next court appearance on Dec. 10.
The press release says the investigation remains “active and ongoing.”
“The BC Extortion Task Force has been working hard to advance investigations and secure charges,” says Assistant Commissioner John Brewer of BC RCMP. “While this charge approval signifies a strong step forward, please know that we are not done. Through our evidence-based investigations and strategic, intelligence-led operations we are committed to pursuing those who commit violent acts and are involved in extortions to hold them accountable.”
The release says the BC Extortion Task Force “continues to work with its partners at the local, provincial and federal levels to ensure communication and coordination of relevant intelligence while maintaining independent investigations.”
It says task force investigators are actively working to determine if this case has links to any other ongoing investigations.
Surrey Police Service said on Tuesday, Dec. 2 that there have been 101 extortion-related files, 44 extortion-related shootings and 74 “unique victims” in 2025.
On Friday, Nov. 28, political leaders from all three levels of government – federal, provincial and municipal – gathered in Surrey along with law enforcement officials to discuss ways to strengthen the response to B.C.’s ongoing extortion crisis.
At the start of the summit, the provincial and federal governments announced $1 million in funding to support victims of extortion through victim services.
The federal government also announced $4 million over four years for an integrated drug and gang team that will focus on drug trafficking south of the Fraser.