3 suspects to be deported from Canada after series of Surrey assaults
Surrey RCMP say they have investigated more than 50 people over the last eight months
Surrey RCMP say three individuals will be deported from Canada as a result of their involvement in a series of assaults involving large groups of youths over the past several months.
Police say they have been looking into the crimes, footage of which circulated on social media, since March and have investigated 50 individuals connected to the groups.
The most recent incident involved video of an assault with a weapon and vandalism to property which occurred in a Newton parking lot on Nov. 11.
An earlier video showed a fight taking place in the parking lot of a strip mall in Strawberry Hills in August.
"These deportations were as a direct result of some of the investigation that was done into that fight," said Surrey RCMP Cpl. Elenore Sturko.
Mayor responds to videos
Sturko said police were working in conjunction with the Canada Border Services Agency. The status of three other individuals is still being reviewed.
Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum recently referred to the two videos circulating online that showed groups of men attacking each other and vandalizing cars, saying police need to take strong action.
In a Tuesday news release, police say they have been making progress on the cases that have been described as mob violence.
"We want to assure the community that our Community Response Unit has been actively engaged in this issue for the past eight months," said Superintendent Shawn Gill.
The release says not all of the violent incidents involved international students, but police also issued a reminder that individuals visiting Canada on a visa can be removed from the country if they engage in any criminal activity.