Canadian mayors urge Trudeau government to tackle rising extortion threats against Indo-Canadians

Two Canadian mayors have urged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government to tackle increasing extortion threats toward businesses in their cities that particularly target Indo-Canadians.

Local reports mentioned that the mayors of Brampton, Ont., and Surrey, B.C. sent a letter to the federal minister of public safety this week, stating that they are deeply concerned for their communities due to the threats. As per the report, the threats are majorly directed towards South Asians.

The letter signed by Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown and Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke, read: "These incidents have instilled fear in our communities and highlight the urgent need for a coordinated response involving multiple jurisdictions."

"We urge your ministry to recognise the inter-jurisdictional nature of these threats and to spearhead a coordinated response that ensures the safety and security of all affected communities across Canada," they added.

The situation is quite serious as the mayors said recent reports have confirmed that there are links between the extortion attempts and violent acts in their provinces.

The mayors wrote in their letter, "It is imperative the federal government, through your ministry, takes a leading role in facilitating this collaboration."

"By leveraging the resources and intelligence capabilities of the RCMP, in concert with local law enforcement agencies, we can formulate a robust and unified approach to tackle this issue," they added.

As quoted by CBC, a spokesperson for the federal public safety minister said the RCMP is working with local police forces to tackle the issue.

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In a statement, Jean-Sebastien Comeau wrote: "These threats of extortion are deeply concerning. "If Canadians suspect they are the target of an extortion attempt, they should report it immediately to their local police force."

Peel Regional Police last month said that it had launched a task force to assess a "disturbing trend" of extortion threats, which are mostly targeting the South Asian business community.

Peel police Chief Nishan Duraiappah wrote in a December statement: "This has caused grave safety and security concerns among our community members. Terrorising our residents will not be tolerated."

(With inputs from agencies)