Police in Surrey, B.C., say three men arrested on Sunday by officers on an anti-extortion patrol are all foreign nationals and have been charged after bullets were fired at a home.
Harjot Singh, Taranveer Singh and Dayajeet Singh Billing face one count each of discharging a firearm, and all have been remanded in custody until Thursday.
The suspects aged 19 to 21 were arrested by patrol officers after an early morning report of shots fired and a small fire outside a home in Surrey's Crescent Beach neighbourhood.
Police say the men were detained shortly after the shooting while in a ride-hail vehicle.
One of the suspects suffered injuries, including two black eyes that could be seen in a photo provided by police.
Surrey police Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton said on Monday that the suspect had refused to comply with instructions to get out of the ride-share vehicle and started to "actively resist."
"As we were trained, he was taken to the ground and safely handcuffed," said Houghton.
A second suspect with a black eye was also injured in the arrest after refusing to comply, Houghton said.
The arresting officers were part of Project Assurance, an initiative that patrols neighbourhoods that have been targeted by extortion violence.
Surrey Police say they are investigating 46 extortion cases so far this year, while the British Columbia Extortion Task Force says there were 32 active files across the Lower Mainland as of last month.
"This crisis has all of our attention," Houghton said.
"Project assurance continues to ramp up in terms of how many officers are assigned," he said.
Houghton said they include permanent and reassigned officers and others working overtime.
Surrey investigators will be sharing information about the three men with other investigators across the country.
Houghton said the Canada Border Services Agency is also involved because the men are foreign nationals, and the trio may face additional charges.
It's not clear if the men are in the country on tourist visas, a study permit, or a work permit, but Houghton said CBSA has started its own investigation into the men's status.
Police say they are releasing the photos of the men with the hope of getting more information about them from the community.
"This may not be the first time they've gone out and done something like this. That is information that we need to know," said Houghton.
Surrey has seen a number of shootings at homes and businesses over the last several months, but there's been an escalation since the new year.
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke last month called on the federal government to declare the extortion violence a national emergency, and the city's council has passed a motion to urge Ottawa to take steps, including naming a commissioner on extortion-related crimes.
Last week, the federal government committed to sending an additional 20 RCMP officers to Surrey to fight extortion-related violence, and Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree has said that helicopters would also be deployed.
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout — Surrey Police
