Abbotsford business owner hit by bullets, then a $1M demand in escalating extortion wave

An Abbotsford, B.C., business owner says he’s living in fear after waking up to bullet holes in his storefront — and later receiving a call demanding $1 million, in what police confirm was an extortion-related attack.

The incident is part of at least 50 extortion cases in Abbotsford since late 2023, including 11 shootings, according to police.

Unlike many previous cases, officers say this attack involved gunfire before any threats or demands, signalling a shift in tactics.

“Typically, threats come first, with violence used if someone doesn’t comply,” said Sgt. Paul Walker with Abbotsford police. “In this case, it was reversed.”

The victim — who CBC News is not naming due to safety concerns — said the caller told him he was one of several targets.

“He said, ‘I don’t care if it’s you or somebody else. I shoot one guy and I’ll get my money.’”

Hours after the shooting, the man received a text message, a video of the attack, and then a phone call. He says the caller returned days later seeking a lower amount, but he refused to pay and has not heard back since.

A community on edge

The victim says he has spent nearly two decades building his livelihood in Canada but now questions whether he can stay.

“I work 18 hours a day. There’s no way I can give a single penny,” he said. “I’m scared for me, my family, my friends and my workers.”

His storefront windows remain boarded up, and business hours have been cut in half.

Police say violence tied to extortion is escalating across the region — shifting from threats via calls, letters, or texts to shootings and arson.

Criminologist: motive may go beyond money

Wade Deisman, a University of the Fraser Valley criminologist, says firing first suggests the goal may be fear and control, not just profit.

“When they ask for exceedingly large amounts, they already know that’s not something that’s going to happen,” he said. “It points to a larger pattern of coercive control.”

Deisman says B.C.’s extortion wave is increasingly transnational, referencing continued tensions between Canada and India and allegations of foreign-backed intimidation — claims India has denied.

Push for tougher enforcement

The business owner says he's considering returning to India, saying he feels unsafe and wants stronger immigration controls.

“My family is my priority,” he said. “Everyone in business has to be careful.”

As part of the province’s extortion task force, the Canada Border Services Agency says investigations have been launched into 78 foreign nationals, with three already removed from Canada, though it has not said why or where they were deported.

Police say no arrests have been made in the Abbotsford shooting and investigators are probing links to other Lower Mainland cases.