It starts with a letter, phone call, or a text message — an anonymous figure demands cash, usually from a business owner, threatening their safety and livelihood unless they pay.

It often ends with gunshots fired at homes and storefronts. And in some communities, such as Surrey and Abbotsford, the bullet holes and shattered glass are mounting.

Extortion crimes in B.C. have become all too familiar, and frequently have ties to similar incidents elsewhere in Canada.

Federal and municipal police believe the crime wave has links to Indian agents, whose playbook has also inspired a slew of copycats and local criminals.

This timeline explores much of what we know about the extortion wave in B.C. and the rest of Canada — from when the trend first emerged, to some of the most recent arrests.

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