Edmonton Police Service (EPS) are currently investigating 27 events related to an ongoing extortion series that has affected the South Asian community in Edmonton since October.
EPS believes that these events are being orchestrated by someone in India.
The most recent offence in this series is a house fire in Beaumont that occurred in the early morning hours of Jan. 16. that was deemed an arson.
Mayor Amarjeet Sohi made a statement Thursday night, saying “(I) immediately reached out to the city manager and chief of police to share these concerns and have remained in touch with some of the impacted businesses. All businesses in Edmonton deserve to conduct their business without fear and intimidation”.
“I am in touch with other cities in the Edmonton region and across Canada who are experiencing this issue”, Sohi added.
Sohi sent a letter to the federal government along with the mayors of Surrey and Brampton as they’ve experienced similar events. It is not yet believed that they are connected.
