Peel police bust violent extortion network in Brampton, Mississauga

Añadido: 2026-05-25

[00:00:07]Good morning everybody and uh we do appreciate you all being here for today's uh significant announcement. I am pleased to also be uh joined by as you've heard by the FBI, uh OPP, uh thank you President O'Gorman for being here from CBSA. We have members of Surrey Police.

[00:00:27]Together, we were able to dismantle a criminal network. We're speaking about exclusively extortions here. Extortions bring violence, fear to a community, intimidation, and it's not just the victim, it's entire communities and neighborhoods that are impacted by this.

[00:00:45]And in this case, it's particularly targeting the South Asian community, business owners, families, their extended families.

[00:00:52]Victims were threatened, businesses were shot, there've been arsons, families intimidated, and this was organized violence, not one-off activities. And communities across Canada and in the US are experiencing the same.

[00:01:07]So this particular investigation began in December 2025. We have had experienced extortions over several years, but this particular one involved provincial, federal, and international partners in a complex investigation that was intelligence-driven.

[00:01:24]What was uncovered was a criminal network operating across jurisdictions and without borders.

[00:01:30]Over the course of this investigation, a group was linked to multiple violent incidents as I mentioned to you, shootings, arsons, repeated threats, and extortion attempts.

[00:01:41]The violence was not random.

[00:01:44]They were specifically targeted and escalated over time.

[00:01:48]Today we're announcing the arrest of 17 individuals, 106 criminal charges, the seizure of firearms and other evidence that support the prosecution.

[00:01:58]They span uh at least 16 violent incidents.

[00:02:02]Each one represented the potential loss of life.

[00:02:07]It's not just a business, a home, a structure, or vehicle. It's people's lives behind them.

[00:02:14]There is national international scope.

[00:02:16]This investigation is far beyond Peel.

[00:02:19]It has ties to British Columbia, as we'll hear, as well as the United States and India.

[00:02:26]One accused in this investigation was linked to an attempted homicide in India.

[00:02:31]Six of the 17 that are charged may face immigration action.

[00:02:36]They scared, intimidated our communities.

[00:02:38]And now the steps are in place to see that criminal process and other processes may remove them from this country.

[00:02:47]But the story doesn't end there. Outside of the 17, there are six additional others that have been detained by Canadian board border services.

[00:02:55]Uh some of them have already been removed from Canada, and two are in custody with CBSA, and one has been released on conditions by the Immigration Refugee Board.

[00:03:05]This is an international investigation with implications on our local community.

[00:03:11]The reason why this is so effective is because partnership sees us through.

[00:03:16]And just to highlight that, this is local related issues that have national reach, that have international results.

[00:03:24]Work and action on preventing these crimes can only be done in our communities if there's commitment, investment at every level, municipally and federally.

[00:03:35]But the intimidation of our community is what has to stop.

[00:03:38]You should be able to run your business, live in your community without fear.

[00:03:43]We will do everything in our power to stop people that want to compromise that. Our partners, here locally and across Canada and internationally, continue to press into these spaces. We are not done yet and we know that this may continue.