FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, MAY 11, 2026, SURREY B.C. — Mike Starchuk today called on the Province to take action to implement the Cullen Commission recommendations, including by immediately standing up the BC Financial Crimes Agency, following a FINTRAC bulletin confirming organized crime is resiliently laundering Surrey extortion proceeds and recruiting international students as money mules.
Surrey extortion cases jumped from 9 in 2024 to 133 in 2025. By April 20 of this year, Surrey police had documented 87 cases — 15 shootings, 2 arsons, and 46 victims, 25 of whom had been targeted before. Surrey is on pace for over 600 cases by year-end — the worst on record.
FINTRAC’s bulletin describes a transnational laundering pipeline routing proceeds through Surrey banks, money service businesses, casinos and ATM networks, to India, the UAE, the UK, and possibly Portugal and Kenya. The Bishnoi gang — designated a terrorist entity by Canada in September 2025 — and the rival Bambiha network are named as primary actors.
June 15, 2026 will mark the fourth anniversary of the Cullen Commission Final Report. 1,804 pages. 101 recommendations. Over $20 million in public investment. The dedicated provincial financial crimes capacity Cullen called for has not been built. Most of the report sits on a shelf.
“I fully support implementation of the Cullen Commission recommendations because Surrey families deserve a serious answer about who launders money in our province, how they do it, and how to stop it,” said Mike Starchuk, Imagine Surrey 2026 mayoral candidate and former MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale. “Four years later, that answer is still sitting on a shelf. Meanwhile, extortion demands land on Surrey small business owners every single day, and gangs are grooming international students into criminal networks before their tuition is paid. As mayor, Surrey will not continue to be the laboratory for what happens when a province ignores its own essential inquiry.”
In addition to their Crush Extortion Plan, Imagine Surrey is calling for:
- Standing-up the BC Financial Crimes Agency — investigators, forensic accountants, and prosecutors. This was the core Cullen recommendation and it has stalled for too long.
- Stopping the Money Laundering Pipeline. No new casinos — full stop. Tougher licensing for cash businesses and crypto ATMs. Stronger procurement transparency.
- Implementing the Victim and Witness Protection Protocol with confidential channels, multilingual support, and small business safety planning.
The recommendations in the Imagine Surrey Crush Extortion Plan also make clear that a joint extortion command is well overdue and that support for witnesses and victims continues to be woefully inadequate to deal with the situation.
The contrast in the Surrey Municipal race could not be starker. Brenda Locke let extortion get out of control while cutting police funding and stalling the police transition in the middle of the crisis. “The Mayor has failed to communicate,” stated Starchuk, “Surrey residents don’t know what is going on. All that they see are Brenda’s fights and cuts to policing when people feel most unsafe.”
Meanwhile, Linda Annis and Doug McCallum have handcuffed themselves to tax commitments that can only be paid for through service cuts (aka. ‘Core Services Review’) and more casinos. Linda and Doug’s choices would be a pure gift to the extortionists.
“We can’t roll the dice on Doug and Linda,” said Imagine Surrey Council Candidate Ashiyana Hanif. “Only one candidate has kept Surrey safe for more than three decades: Mike Starchuk. With Mike as mayor, you will not live in fear, the extortionists will.”
Trevor Loke, former Executive Director of Transparency International Canada, endorsed the Imagine Surrey plan. “BC’s money laundering problem is no secret. One of our biggest banks paid more than $3 billion in US penalties for failing to stop it. Our ports operate without the scrutiny they need to keep illicit contraband off our streets. And the Cullen Commission recommendations have been gathering dust. The current regime has a name studied around the world: The Vancouver Model. Unless we want a second model named after us, a ‘Surrey Model’ — which factors in gangs, international students, and extortion — then we need to reverse course now. Extortionists are operating in broad daylight because the system is rigged in their favour. The time for talk is over. Mike Starchuk and Imagine Surrey’s plan is the most serious and credible solution to address this menace.”
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About Imagine Surrey
Imagine Surrey is a non-partisan civic party running a full slate of candidates in the October 17, 2026 municipal election. Led by mayoral candidate Mike Starchuk, Imagine Surrey is committed to making Surrey the City of Champions by delivering: Safe streets, fast commutes, smart investments, lower costs, and strong services. Imagine Surrey is the only team offering real change that works for the residents of Surrey.
Council candidates: Yousef Aldabainah, Chandan Chahal, Perminder Chohan, Narima Dela Cruz, Ashiyana Hanif, William Li, Dr. Margaret Mubanda, and Kevin Wilkie.
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Media Contact
Scott Williams
Imagine Surrey & Mike for Mayor Campaign
604-356-7606
[email protected]