‘Dozens of staged accidents': Crime group linked to tow truck industry, extortions charged

Global News

a day ago

Peel Regional Police say key members of a Brampton-based criminal organization allegedly responsible several extortion incidents and staged car accidents are facing charges.
In a press conference on Monday, police revealed details of an investigation called Project Outsource which was launched in July 2024 after officers saw a sharp trend in violent extortion attempts and other criminal activity in the region.
Police allege Project Outsource found that the criminal network, which is allegedly tied to the tow truck industry, was operating with 'two distinct but interconnected components: one dedicated to extortion and violence, and the other rooted in the towing industry.'
The force said several suspects were found to be associated with towing companies operating under the names 'Certified Roadside' and 'Humble Roadside.'
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'We have substantial evidence linking the group to dozens of staged accidents and potentially costing insurance companies between 80 and $100,000 for each staged accident,' said Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich with Peel Regional Police.
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'In total, those fraudulent claims exceed $1 million for this particular investigation,' Milinovich continued. 'To put that in perspective, fraudulent claims to the industry of insurance represent an equal amount to stolen cars, a cost which is then passed on to our community.'
On June 10, police said a woman from King City along with 17 men from Brampton were arrested following several coordinated search warrants in Peel and York regions, as well as in Toronto, involving more than 200 officers.
All 18 people face almost 100 charges including conspiracy, extortion, fraud, firearm-related offences, participating and instructing in a criminal organization and staging collision offences.
Police noted that almost half of the accused were on some form of a judicial release at the time of their arrest. Several of them were known to police.
Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah said the two people who are believed to be responsible for leading the criminal organization are part of the arrests.
Over the course of Project Outsource, police said 18 tow trucks were seized with a total value of $2.8 million, five stolen vehicles were recovered worth more than $500,000, four personal high-end vehicles worth $840,000, six firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, as well as other various weapons such as crossbows, stun guns and baseball bats.
Project Outsource was created as a focused sub-investigation under the Extortion Investigative Task Force — created in 2023 in response to recent, sharp rise in violent extortion attempts targeting South Asian business owners, including demands for large sums of money, threats for non-payment, and acts of violence, including drive-by shootings.