‘I’m not working for them’: Surrey business owner refuses to pay extortionists

Amid continued extortion threats to B.C. business owners, hundreds of organization members turned retired to a municipality hallway successful Surrey connected Saturday, saying they’re frightened for their lives and pushing for changes to Canada’s laws.

The event, organized by nan Canadian Trucking Association of B.C., followed a January 6 nationalist forum successful Surrey wherever adjacent to 700 group showed up to reside a drawstring of shootings and extortion letters.

RCMP person said a White Rock shooting past December is linked to nan ongoing extortion cases.

“I sewage a threat, if you’re not paying us, we’re going to pain your Range Rover,” Parminder Sanghera told nan municipality hall.

It was an eerily acquainted business for nan proscription institution owner, who recounted really his begetter received an extortion missive successful India successful 1989.

Sanghera said that missive came 1 period aft his begetter bought a car for nether 10,000 rupees.

At nan time, he said a car was a large woody successful his location country.

Sanghera said nan extortionists demanded his begetter salary them nan aforesaid magnitude he had paid for nan car.

“My dada said we’re not going to salary immoderate happens,” recalled Sanghera.

Instead, Sanghera said his begetter told him he should spell overseas to Europe, nan U.S. aliases Canada to beryllium safe and person a amended life.

Sanghera came to Canada successful 1996 and worked highly difficult to build his ain business, Reliance Logistics Inc.

“Today we are opinionated successful nan aforesaid position, they came aft my car,” Sanghera told Global News. “Where should I go, wherever should I nonstop my kids? We are not emotion safe.”

Sanghera is 1 of 2 members of nan Canadian Trucking Association of B.C. who precocious received extortion threats.

“If I’m getting calls tomorrow, personification other is getting calls, possibly somebody’s getting changeable connected their houses,” Sanghera told nan nationalist forum.

Sanghera and different Fraser Valley business owners are demanding action months aft nan RCMP established a task unit to tackle extortion attempts.

Jas Arora of Highway King Transport Ltd. told Global News he’s been receiving threats since past summertime and that during 1 telephone call, nan extortionist told him that constabulary wouldn’t do anything, knowing an serviceman was successful nan room pinch him.

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“Police are tied, for illustration they’re helpless, they cannot do anything,” said Arora. “They request to alteration nan laws.”

Although location person been arrests successful immoderate extortion cases, nan organization is concerned suspects are not being kept successful custody earlier trial.

“This is unacceptable,” said Amit Kumar pinch nan Canadian Trucking Association of B.C. “You guys person to springiness nan police, you guys person to springiness nan judiciary each nan devices they request to put these group down bars.”

“The laws are truthful soft,” added Sanghera. “They travel pinch forbidden weapons and they’re shooting astatine our houses and we don’t moreover protect ourselves pinch a ineligible weapon.”

Politicians from each 3 levels of authorities utilized nan municipality hallway arsenic an opportunity to speak, and besides return shots astatine their opponents.

Community members told nan crowd they wanted solutions, not articulator service.

“The little government, precocious government: activity together to lick this issue,” urged Vedic Hindu Cultural Society of BC president Satish Kumar.

“Don’t blasted each other.”

Sanghera said he hopes others successful nan organization will person nan courageousness to speak retired and for illustration his father, he will not beryllium handing complete immoderate of his hard-earned rate to criminals.

“I’m not moving for them, I’m moving for my family,” Sanghera told Global News.

“I’m taking a guidelines for myself and I’m taking a guidelines for my family.”