British Columbia's director of civil forfeiture has launched a lawsuit to seize a Surrey home where police have responded to 120 calls in 3.5 years, including a fatal fire last month. The five-bedroom house on 104 Avenue near 129 Street is alleged to have been the site of numerous serious crimes, including the sexual exploitation of girls as young as 12 and human trafficking of a 16-year-old.
Allegations of Criminal Activity
The lawsuit details a long list of offenses, including forcible confinement, assaults with weapons such as a machete and a broken coffee cup, use of pepper spray, drug use and trafficking by adults and minors, providing alcohol to minors, failure to declare taxable income, and threats to kill a Canada Revenue Agency agent. Police have responded to incidents ranging from uttering threats and assault on Christmas Day 2022 to a threat against a tax agency employee in March 2026.
Owner's Responsibility Questioned
The property is owned by Liang Zhang, who does not live there but rents it out. The province argues that Zhang knew or ought to have known about the criminal use of his property, as police informed him of the activity six times in 2023 and 2024, yet the crimes continued. The director of civil forfeiture seeks to have the house forfeited, arguing that if it is not, the illegal activities will likely persist.
Police allege that a 48-year-old man living in the basement suite trafficked a 16-year-old girl who referred to him as her boyfriend. The house is now boarded up after a fire last month that killed one occupant.
Legal Proceedings
Zhang must now prove his property should not be lost to the government. The lawsuit lists 14 laws broken, including eight Criminal Code charges and six under other federal statutes. The director also demands Zhang disclose proceeds and rent earned since purchasing the house with a mortgage in 2021.
This case highlights the use of civil forfeiture laws in British Columbia to target properties linked to criminal activity. The court will determine whether the house should be seized and whether Zhang bears responsibility for the actions of his tenants.
