TORONTO — Peel Regional Police say they have dismantled an organized crime network allegedly responsible for a series of extortion-related shootings and arsons targeting members of the South Asian business community in Ontario and beyond.Police announced Monday that 17 men have been arrested and charged with a combined 106 offences following a joint investigation involving Peel Regional Police, the Ontario Provincial Police, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the FBI and FINTRAC.Investigators allege the group, known as “For Brothers,” operated in Brampton, Mississauga, Caledon and British Columbia, with links extending into California. Police say the accused are connected to 24 incidents, including 16 violent attacks involving arsons and shootings in which 324 rounds were fired.Authorities say businesses, including restaurants and trucking companies, were repeatedly targeted after refusing to comply with extortion demands.In one case, investigators allege two suspects carried out a shooting and arson at a home in Caledon before targeting a business in Brampton minutes later.Among those charged are residents from Brampton, Surrey, Barrie and one individual from Manteca, Calif.Peel police said six individuals charged in the investigation could face immigration proceedings, including possible removal from Canada, after their criminal matters conclude. Separately, CBSA officers arrested and detained six individuals on immigration-related inadmissibility allegations..Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said all of the alleged criminals charged by Peel Regional Police in the extortion investigation are not Canadian citizens.Police also seized six firearms, illicit drugs, cell phones, SIM cards and fraudulent identification cards during the investigation.Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah said the investigation demonstrates the need for international cooperation to combat organized crime and extortion networks.“These arrests reflect the coordinated efforts of Peel Regional Police and our law enforcement partners across jurisdictions to disrupt these networks and hold those responsible accountable,” Duraiappah said in a statement.CBSA President Erin O’Gorman said the agency has opened hundreds of immigration investigations linked to extortion-related activity since 2023.The investigation remains ongoing and police say additional arrests are anticipated.
