Seventeen people are facing more than 100 charges after an investigation into a string of violent extortion incidents that predominantly targeted South Asian businesses in the Greater Toronto Area, Peel police say.
Police say a joint operation involving provincial, federal and U.S. authorities began last December and “dismantled a co-ordinated campaign of intimidation, threats, and escalating violence used to extort local businesses.”
Several businesses, including restaurants and trucking companies, were repeatedly targeted after refusing to comply with extortion demands, police said.
In one incident, police allege two people carried out a shooting and arson at a home in Caledon, followed minutes later by a second shooting targeting a business in Brampton.
Investigators say the 17 suspects have been linked to 24 incidents in all, including 16 that are tied to For Brothers, an international criminal network that targets South Asian business owners and community members in Canada and the United States.
Police say they believe the criminal network behind attacks against the South Asian community in Peel Region has also been active in British Columbia and has links to California, they said.
“Extortion is not confined to one region but connected both nationally and internationally. Addressing it requires strong cross-border collaboration and intelligence-sharing among agencies,” Peel police Chief Nishan Duraiappah said in a statement.
“We recognize the fear and harm this has caused, particularly within the South Asian community, and remain committed to put a stop to these crimes and keep our communities safe.”
Most of the suspects are from Ontario, with two from British Columbia and one from California. The group faces 106 charges in total.
Police say six individuals charged in the investigation may face immigration action, including possible removal from the country, after their criminal cases are finished.
They say the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has separately arrested and detained six individuals for immigration-related inadmissibility.
Three of those detained by the CBSA have been removed from Canada, two are in the agency’s custody, and one has been released by the Immigration and Refugee Board on conditions, police said.
