Four-month update from the BC Extortion Task Force
By BC RCMP
Four months after the BC Extortion Task Force was announced, the BC RCMP is providing a brief update on its ongoing efforts to advance investigations.
January 17, 2026, marked four months since the BC Extortion Task Force began its official operations. While this date marks the official announcement of the Task Force, joint force operations within the RCMP and in collaboration with municipal policing partners have been in operation for some time now. Coordinated efforts utilizing combined resources have continued to gather evidence and demonstrate the importance of collaboration across law enforcement and agencies.
The Task Force to date, has taken conduct of 32 files from jurisdictions across the Lower Mainland. Investigators are analyzing physical, digital and forensic evidence to establish linkages and advance investigations towards enforcement into identified cluster groups.
As new extortion-related files come in for initial response by police of jurisdiction, each is assessed to determine whether it is connected to any of the ongoing, previously identified series under investigation by the Task Force. Investigators continue to liaise with and provide support to local police across the province. The Task Force is also working extensively with policing partners across Canada and supporting the ongoing work of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to assess and enforce immigration violations. Additionally, the Task Force is also coordinating closely with the BC Prosecution Service, who is actively briefed on evidentiary gains and file status as the team works towards reports to Crown Counsel.
Since the dedication of resources to the Task Force, investigators have been actively working to complete priority tasks and gather the evidence to advance investigations. Important evidentiary pieces require judicial authorizations to be lawfully secured, and the Task Force has obtained almost 100 judicial authorizations and executed multiple search warrants across the Lower Mainland, Southeast District and in Alberta. Investigators have made arrests, conducted searches incidental to those arrests and obtained statements to lawfully secure perishable evidence.
In total, because of Task Force investigative efforts to date, seven individuals have been criminally charged. Concurrently, municipal policing partners have secured charges in some of their respective investigations both through independent investigations and through collaborative efforts gathering evidence with the Task Force.
“Extortion investigations are complex and investigators and Crown prosecutors must rely on lawfully obtained physical, digital and forensic evidence to put the pieces of the puzzles together and to prove the charges,” says Assistant Commissioner John Brewer of the BC RCMP. “The Task Force understands this reality, is unrelenting in its efforts, has over 1,000 exhibits and hundreds of hours of CCTV footage that is being meticulously analyzed to find every vital piece of evidence. The BC RCMP continues to lead the Task Force and drive investigations with our municipal partners because public safety remains our top priority. All our investigations remain active with our efforts extending beyond provincial borders through close collaboration with police partners nationwide.”
Additionally, RCMP surge resources have continued to be deployed strategically using an intelligence‑led approach, in support of local police agencies. This evidence-led increase in police resources has ensured that additional tactical resources have more presence identified areas.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is an integral part of the BC Extortion Task Force. In delivering on its public safety mandate, the CBSA works with law-enforcement partners to rid Canada of foreign criminals who have no right to be here. As of January 20, in support of the BC Extortion Task Force, the CBSA’s Pacific Region is investigating 111 foreign nationals who may be inadmissible for Immigration and Refugee Protection Act related offences. So far, nine of these individuals have been removed from Canada. The CBSA’ decisive enforcement action is balanced with the rights of individuals under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Making a refugee claim does not exempt lawbreakers from the consequences of their actions and the CBSA continues to aggressively pursue the removal of extortionists attempting to evade justice by abusing Canadians’ concern for genuine refugees in need of protection.
Municipal policing partners across the province continue to lead their own investigations, establish dedicated project teams to advance their work, and address issues within their respective communities. The Task Force has been liaising with policing partners and working with the RCMP National Coordination and Support Team (NCST) to de-conflict and information share across the country.
“Please know that we are moving forward with each investigation to ensure that those who are responsible for these acts are held accountable,” says Assistant Commissioner John Brewer. “Working with our partners in the Task Force, specialized units and police of jurisdiction, we’ve taken a multi-pronged approach to each file. The combined strength of all agencies involved ensures that the necessary expertise is available throughout the province and across the country to advance investigations.”
