Hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled arrival in Canada, authorities in the Greater Toronto Area announced a major breakthrough in dismantling a violent criminal syndicate primarily involving individuals of Indian origin.
The group is accused of instigating fear and violence within their own South Asian community, targeting local business owners through extortion and intimidation.
Peel Regional Police (PRP) Chief Nishan Duraiappah added that the activities of the gang had escalated considerably, with "drive-by shootings, arsons, a variety of acts of violence," and the South Asian diaspora in the area feeling insecure.
Code-named "Operation Outsource," the operation was launched in 2023 following a worrying surge in violence and extortion cases. The PRP, which polices the Peel Region suburbs around Toronto, reported 18 people arrested, 17 of whom are of Indian origin. They collectively have 97 criminal charges.
Police said officers recovered assets and property valued at more than $4.2 million, including firearms like guns, crossbows, tasers, bulletproof vests, and stolen vehicles.
"Peel Region in recent years has seen a dramatic increase in violent extortion attempts against South Asian business owners, including demanding large amounts of money, threatening non-payment, and violence, including drive-by shootings," the PRP stated in a public release.
To meet this emerging threat, Peel Police established an Extortion Investigation Task Force in December 2023. The unit has been in close collaboration with other police forces as part of a Joint Task Force initiative.
Their probe uncovered a two-pronged criminal operation — one arm involved violent extortion and threats, the other was a part of the towing industry, where illegal operations ranged from organized car crashes for insurance scams to armed intimidation to control local towing contracts.
"This is a highly organized criminal network with one element based on extortion and another controlling the towing business through coercion, threats, and guns," police stated.
The establishment of drive-by shootings attributed to the gang is significant, particularly against the backdrop of some politically charged unsolved shootings in Canada. Significantly, the former Canadian administration during Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had also made contentious allegations about potential connections between such violence and Indian intelligence agencies — an allegation that had strained Ottawa-New Delhi diplomatic relations.
The news that most of these crimes were actually traced to within the Indian community in Canada can add to that complexity, particularly with Prime Minister Modi arriving in the nation for bilateral talks.
