TORONTO — Toronto police have charged seven people — including three members of the Canadian Armed Forces — with 82 criminal offences in a July kidnapping they say was motivated by access to cryptocurrency.Chief Myron Demkiw and Chief Supt. Joe Matthews of Detective Operations outlined the results Wednesday at police headquarters. The incident occurred July 25 in the Finch Ave. E. and Bayview Ave. area of North York. Police allege the victim was targeted as he approached his vehicle, abducted at gunpoint, handcuffed and assaulted. The suspects allegedly tried to gain access to his cryptocurrency assets. He was later released after being threatened not to contact police, escaped, and notified officers. He suffered only minor injuries.Investigators with the Integrated Gun and Gang Task Force’s kidnapping unit identified a vehicle and arrested Saiefeddine Adem, 22, and Raheem Bishop-Jackson, 24, within 24 hours. Further arrests followed Aug. 11 (Talarambage Fernando, 22; James Moreau, 29; and Christian Darbandi, 39) and Sept. 24 (Jack Miley, 24; and Suhaib Alekozai, 39). By Sept. 24 all seven were in custody..Search warrants at residences and vehicles across the GTA produced four firearms — two with 3D-printed receivers — two silencers, ten over-capacity magazines, more than 2,700 rounds of ammunition (roughly half blanks), cellular phones, a replica firearm, and large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine and other controlled substances. Approximately 2,500 rounds and five over-capacity magazines were later determined to have been stolen from the Canadian Armed Forces.Matthews confirmed that Fernando, Moreau and Miley are members of the Canadian Armed Forces. All three belong to the 7th Toronto Regiment, a reserve artillery unit based at Moss Park Armoury. Fernando and Moreau hold the rank of bombardier; Miley is a master bombardier. According to the Department of National Defence, Fernando enlisted as a reservist in January 2020 and has not been deployed. Moreau enlisted in March 2018 and deployed on Operation LASER in 2020. Both were removed from military duties and restricted from bases and equipment pending administrative review. The three knew one another, but police said they are still determining the precise connections among all seven suspects. No link to a larger organized crime group has been established so far..Demkiw said the case raises broader concerns about individuals with military training engaging in violent crime. “Whether you are a member of the military or a member of police service or a public official. No one. No one is above the law,” he said. Matthews noted that the training and access to firearms among the accused creates risk for both victims and responding officers.The Canadian Armed Forces cooperated fully. The force had not previously reported the missing ammunition to Toronto police but confirmed ownership once the seized rounds were presented. Investigators noted that Toronto has seen 14 abductions this year, with arrests in 12 of those cases. No other abductions have been linked to this group.The accused face charges that include kidnapping, firearms offences and drug offences. The investigation remains active as officers examine seized phones and devices.
