Canada: Indian-origin persons among 18 charged for extortion, acts of violence
Eighteen persons, several among them of Indian origin, have been arrested and charged in Canada’s Peel region for extortion and acts of violence in connection with an organised criminal network linked to the towing industry.
The Peel Regional Police said on Monday that they had recovered more than $4.2 million in assets after dismantling the network as part of a joint operation with local and provincial law enforcement agencies.
The police said that the operation, titled Project Outsource, was launched in July 2024 to look into the network believed to be behind a significant number of extortion cases and related acts of violence.
“As the investigation progressed, it became clear that the criminal network operated with two distinct, but interconnected components: one dedicated to extortion and violence, and the other rooted in the towing industry,” the statement said.
Several suspects were found to be linked to towing companies operating under the names Certified Roadside and Humble Roadside, the statement said.
Evidence was uncovered that these persons were engaged in insurance fraud by staging vehicle collisions, and using threats, assaults, and firearms to exert control over local towing operations, it added.
The police said that 17 men from Brampton and a 37-year-old woman, identified as Haleh Javady Torabi from King City, have been arrested and...
Read more
News