Surrey, B.C.'s mayor and police chief have announced a fund worth $250,000 for tips that lead to successful convictions of extortion cases targeting mostly South Asian businesses in the community.

"We cannot and will not let extortion take hold in our city," said Mayor Brenda Locke, speaking at city hall Monday morning.

The announcement comes amid a rise in extortion cases against members of the South Asian community in Surrey and elsewhere in Canada, in which money is demanded from businesses under the threat of violence.

Locke said the Surrey Police Service is currently investigating 44 cases of extortion in the city, and 27 related shootings.

"This reward is intended to motivate individuals to provide specific evidence to police to further the investigation, leading to the arrest, p

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