Eighteen persons, several among them of Indian origin, have been arrested and charged in Canada’s Peel region for extortion and acts of violence in connection with an organised criminal network linked to the towing industry.

The Peel Regional Police said on Monday that they had recovered more than $4.2 million in assets after dismantling the network as part of a joint operation with local and provincial law enforcement agencies.

The police said that the operation, titled Project Outsource, was launched in July 2024 to look into the network believed to be behind a significant number of extortion cases and related acts of violence.

“As the investigation progressed, it became clear that the criminal network operated with two distinct, but interconnected components: one dedicated to extortion and violence, and the other rooted in the towing industry,” the statement said.

Several suspects were found to be linked to towing companies operating under the names Certified Roadside and Humble Roadside, the statement said.

Evidence was uncovered that these persons were engaged in insurance fraud by staging vehicle collisions, and using threats, assaults, and firearms to exert control over local towing operations, it added.

The police said that 17 men from Brampton and a 37-year-old woman, identified as Haleh Javady Torabi from King City, have been arrested and charged in connection with the investigation as of June 10.

The men were Inderjit Dhami, Paritosh Chopra, Gurbinder Singh, Kulwinder Puri, Parminder Puri, Inderjit Bal, Varun Aul, Ketan Chopra, Norman Tazehkand, Pawandeep Singh, Dipanshu Garg, Rahul Verma, Karan Boparai, Mankirat Boparai, Simar Boparai, Jovan Singh and Abhinav Bhardwaj.

The police statement said that the persons arrested in the matter faced 97 criminal charges related to criminal organisation, extortion, fraud, firearms, among others.

“Three individuals were charged and released to attend court at a later date, while 15 were held for a bail hearing at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton,” the authorities said. “Of the 18, almost half were on a form of judicial release at the time of arrest.”

Several weapons, including firearms and ammunition, were seized over the course of the investigation, the statement added

“This investigation has delivered a significant blow to a well-organised criminal network that has been spreading fear and violence in our communities,” Nishan Duraiappah, Peel Regional Police chief, said. “These individuals and their actions have no place here, and they will be held fully accountable.”