Edmonton police say 3 drive-by shootings connected to extortion of South Asian businesses

Edmonton police say three drive-by shootings in three municipalities last December are connected to a rash of extortion incidents.

On Tuesday, the Edmonton Police Service provided an update on Project Gaslight — a probe into incidents targeting South Asian home builders in Edmonton, alleged to have been carried out by a group of local suspects who are being directed by someone in India.

"In my opinion, they're being exploited to carry out these acts and someone who is not in this country is benefiting from that," Staff Sgt. Eric Stewart, who heads the service's firearms and gangs sections, said during an update Tuesday.

Stewart told reporters that shootings in Edmonton, Sherwood Park, Alta., and Winnipeg were allegedly perpetrated by 19-year-old Arjun Sahnan, who police have previously identified as connected to the ongoing investigation.

On Dec. 21, shots were fired at a home occupied by a family of six, including two children, in the Cy Becker neighbourhood of northeast Edmonton, Stewart said.

"It was a miracle no one was struck."

The second shooting, on Christmas Eve, was in Winnipeg. Police released surveillance footage showing a black SUV pull up to a home on a suburban street before shots are fired into the residence.

"In both these events, the homeowners were extorted and threatened prior to the shooting," Stewart said.

The third shooting was in Sherwood Park on Dec. 29, but is believed to have been directed at the wrong house. The house was unoccupied at the time.

Sahnan was arrested on five firearms possession charges during a vehicle stop on Dec. 30 but was released. 

"It was a patrol or general patrol stop," Stewart said. "He went through the bail hearing process and he was released on bail conditions."

The suspect is now believed to have fled to India and is wanted on Canada-wide warrants, Stewart said.

The staff sergeant petitioned him to return to Canada but said police are prepared to work with international partners to seek justice.

In January, EPS said they had arrested and charged six young men and a youth in connection with the extortion series, including Sahnan.

Investigators have said multiple houses went up in flames after local South Asian business owners received WhatsApp messages demanding large amounts of money. In January, police said most of the people being targeted are of Indian origin.

There have been no new instances of extortion or arson since then, Stewart said Tuesday.

Extortion schemes across Canada

RCMP have established a national task force to help co-ordinate investigations of extortion schemes in Ontario, B.C. and Alberta.

Kash Heed, a Richmond, B.C., city councillor and former police chief for West Vancouver, said in an interview with CBC News Network these cases are different but similarly target affluent South Asian business owners.

Heed said chances were slim that authorities will be able to return Sahnan to Canada to face justice, given that some of the controlling forces in India behind the extortions may have connections to law enforcement there.

"It's highly unlikely given the fact that this person has fled to India that he may be returned and we're going to get the full co-operation of the authorities in India with respect to this."