Calgary Extortion Crisis: 28 Cases Target South Asian Business Leaders

CALGARY, AB — Twenty-eight extortion cases. Thirteen shootings. One community caught in the crosshairs of organized crime networks that know exactly who to target—and how to silence them.

As of February 23, 2026, the Calgary Police Service is investigating 28 extortion incidents targeting South Asian business leaders and influential community members since early 2025. The playbook is consistent: demands for large cash sums delivered via WhatsApp or international calls, followed by threats of violence if victims don't comply. In 13 of those cases, the threats became bullets—fired at homes and businesses across the city.

Deputy Chief Asif Rashid has been leading the public response, but the investigation faces a wall that no budget increase can penetrate: fear. Victims aren't talking. The taboo around reporting, combined with legitimate concern about reprisal, means the 28 confirmed cases likely represent a fraction of the actual toll.

Why Ward 5 Became Ground Zero

The CPS has deployed increased patrols in Ward 5, home to a significant South Asian population, as part of what the service calls a 'robust suppression and disruption plan.' It's not a random clustering. Organized crime groups are deliberately targeting what they identify as 'affluential, influential, business-type people'—individuals with assets, visibility, and cultural reasons to avoid law enforcement.

This isn't a Calgary-only problem. Similar extortion rings are operating in British Columbia's Lower Mainland, Edmonton, and Ontario. CPS is now participating in inter-provincial intelligence meetings to track the networks, working alongside Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT), the RCMP, and Canada Border Services Agency.

The $613 Million Question

The Calgary Police Service's 2026 operating budget sits at $613 million—a $59 million increase from 2025. That jump covers fleet maintenance, facility repairs, and backfilling a $28 million hole left by the provincial government's removal of photo radar revenue. What it doesn't cover: the cultural bridge-building required to get extortion victims to file reports in the first place.

On February 5, 2026, CPS hosted a town hall at the Dashmesh Cultural Centre, bringing together ALERT, Calgary Crime Stoppers, and Alberta Justice Minister Mickey Amery. The goal was simple: convince the community that reporting is safer than staying silent. Whether that message penetrated the stigma remains unclear. The CPS Diversity Resource Team, which includes a South Asia portfolio, is tasked with ongoing outreach, but the violence isn't slowing.

The Jaspreet Gill Exception

In February 2026, Jaspreet Gill was charged with six counts of extortion following a September 2025 investigation. The victim was South Asian, but police confirmed the case was not connected to the broader 28-incident series. It's a reminder that even within a targeted wave of organized crime, isolated predators still operate—and that the line between opportunism and coordination can be razor-thin.

For now, the 28 cases remain open. The shootings remain under investigation. And the silence remains the most expensive cost of all.