More Montreal business owners facing extortion, police say
Montreal police arrested 13 people in connection with a series of extortion crimes targeting the owners of two downtown Montreal restaurants earlier this week.
Eight men and two women between the ages of 28 and 44 are said to be involved in two independent crime organizations.
The extortion targeted the owners of two restaurants in the downtown Ville-Marie borough stemming back to last fall.
'The investigation wasn't focused on the people who did the crimes, but on a higher level for the criminals,' said SPVM Cmdr. Pierre-Marc Houle.
Thirteen arrests were made following an extensive investigation that involved multiple jurisdictions including the Sureté du Québec.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
'Fifteen warrants were executed mostly in Montreal and also in Laval and Châteauguay,' said Houle.
Story continues below advertisement
Montreal police say extortion is nothing new but there has been an uptick in this type of crime since the pandemic, which they say they are monitoring closely.
'We encourage business owners speak up with the SPVM if they have any information to give to us,' added Houle.
Alia Hassan Cournol, councillor for Hochelaga Maisonneuve, said the city is working closely with the merchant's associations and the police.
'For both our administration and the SPVM. it's a priority,' said Hassan Cournol.
'Business owners need to reach out to the SPVM, that's really important. The more data they have, the more tactical they are on the ground.'
The incidents also serve as a reminder of how important it is to invest in the city's youth population.
'Investing in infrastructure, investing in believing in the younger crowd and giving them space,' said Hassan Cournol.
Opposition leader for Ensemble Montréal, Soraya Martinez Ferrada, believes these types of crimes are completely unacceptable.
'It has to be tolerance zero and people need to feel safe, to call the police and say what's happening,' she said during a press conference Thursday morning.
Montreal police say investigations are ongoing. Police are also looking into other recent incidents, including last week's firebombing of two restaurants and one coffee shop targeted by mistake.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
7 hours ago
- Global News
Calgary woman loses $800k in romance scam: ‘I have nothing left'
Barbara Grant was one of many Canadians who found themsleves lonely during the pandemic. For the first time in her life, she set out to find a connection on an online dating site. That's when she met Michael Janda. 'We started talking… he said, 'You are gorgeous, I want to be with you,'' Grant said. The two quickly formed a bond. Janda's profile said he worked in the same oil and gas industry where she had built a successful career. As the weeks went by, they spoke about plans of marriage and buying a home together in Victoria, B.C. Then came the requests that preyed on her emotions. 'He told me he was caught in Doha, Qatar, carrying $1.5 million in cash,' she said, 'And police put him in jail.' Story continues below advertisement The two continued to communicate on LinkedIn after moving away from the dating site where they first connected. Over a period of nearly a year, Grant sent Janda money in several bank transfers — first to a trucking company in Ontario, then an individual in the U.S. Then one day in November, Grant realized her mistake — Janda wasn't who he said he was. 'He contacted me through LinkedIn and said, 'I can't come to Calgary any more, they've locked me up again.' He was coming to the airport and I was going to pick him up. 'I then realized it was a scam.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I then realized it was a scam." Grant lost $800,000 CAD — her life's savings. 'I have nothing left, except what's in my (Registered Retirement Income Fund). I'm devastated by it… absolutely devastated.' 4:24 Spotting romance scams Falling into a deep depression, Grant was checked into a mental health unit on multiple occasions in Calgary. She contemplated ending her own life. Story continues below advertisement Then she took action, hiring a B.C.-based private investigator to look into her case. Six months later, Denis Gagnon had compiled a 400-page report. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'It's basically a daily event,' Gagnon said, explaining his work. Gangon was able to trace the transfers Grant sent. He says those recipients are commonly referred to as 'mules.' 'The money that's being transferred goes through a mule and goes to a different account. That person takes a percentage and then sends it overseas.' But who was ultimately behind it all is still a mystery. The lengthy report was then forwarded on to the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Interests, which earlier this week ruled in favour of Grant's bank, TD. 'I want TD Canada Trust to know about what happened to me… it has ruined my life,' Grant said. 'The bank is not responsible, not accountable… they have a fiduciary responsibility to me to give me some of my money back.' 2:36 Matchmaker warns of new, advanced romance scams In 2024, TD faced fines on both sides of the Canada/U.S. border — first in May, when Fintrac fined the bank $9.2 million for a range of failures including not submitting suspicious transaction reports when there was reasonable grounds to require it to do so, not assessing and documenting money laundering/terrorist activity financing risks and for the bank not taking prescribed special measures for high risk. Story continues below advertisement CIBC and RBC were also fined similar amounts. But that number was then dwarfed months later in the United States, when TD became the largest bank in U.S. history to plead guilty to violating a federal law aimed at preventing money laundering, and agreed to pay over $3 billion in penalties to resolve the charges. In that case, TD said its program was 'insufficient to effectively monitor, detect, report, and respond to suspicious activity' and work is underway to remedy the deficiencies. 3:52 TD Bank fined $3B U.S. in money-laundering case Global News asked TD officials for a statement on improvements to that program and further protections for its clients, but did not hear back by deadline. Grant says she's looking into a debt consolidation loan in order to wipe her hands clean from a years-long ordeal that has altered her world. Story continues below advertisement But she also wants her story to serve as a warning to others — if it can happen to this savvy, successful 75-year-old, it can happen to anyone. 'When someone comes forward and is willing to talk about what happened, we really should be commending them,' explained Wes Lafortune of the Better Business Bureau of Alberta. Lafortune estimates only five per cent of these type of crimes are ultimately reported and awareness can make a huge difference. 'It's really important to report these crimes to police, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Better Business Bureau… so these organizations can determine what sort of resources can be put into this.' Gagnon says it will take much more than status quo to turn the tide on this situation. Story continues below advertisement 'I think Canada has become a bit of a target for fraudsters. In the United States, I believe the penalties are much more severe. Canada is (still working through that),' Gagnon explained. 'Most people don't break into a house now through the door. They come in through your phone — or the screen you're looking at.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Most people don't break into a house now through the door. They come in through your phone — or the screen you're looking at." Grant was ready to spend her golden years travelling, downsizing her home and spending time with her children. Now at 75, she says she'll likely return to work as a consultant in the fall. She also sells her own paintings and dances. She's quite the catch — but you won't find her on any dating sites. 'No. No. I have some good friends, that's it, that's all,' she said.
Global News
7 hours ago
- Global News
Const. Daniel Woodall School honours 10th anniversary of EPS officer's death
At Constable Daniel Woodall School, a ceremony was held Friday honoured the life and legacy of the Edmonton Police Service officer, 10 years after he made the ultimate sacrifice. Dan Woodall was killed in the line of duty on June 8, 2015 in west Edmonton, where he and his fellow members of the hate crimes unit were attempting to make an arrest at a home in Callingwood. The 35-year-old officer was shot through the door of a home. Another officer, a southwest division patrol member, was shot in the lower back but survived. 'I was working that day, and I remember quite vividly responding to the event. It's hard to believe sometimes…it's already been 10 years, but it feels like it was just yesterday,' Deputy Chief Nicole Chapdelaine said. Const. Daniel Woodall, of the EPS Hate Crimes Unit, poses in this undated handout photo. In the years since, Woodall has been honoured at two locations in Edmonton: at a park in the southwest Terwillegar area, where he lived with his wife and two young sons, and also on the other side of Anthony Henday Drive. Story continues below advertisement There, in the Windermere area, sits Constable Daniel Woodall School, which is clad in blue, yellow and black siding that mirrors the colours of the Edmonton Police Service. View image in full screen Const. Daniel Woodall School, named after the last Edmonton Police Service officer who died in the line of duty in 2015, strung blue ribbons and changed their school sign in solidarity for Const. Travis Jordan and Const. Brett Ryan, who were killed on the job Thursday, March 16, 2023. Global News The school opened in 2017 and every year students take the time to remember Woodall and his service to the community. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'I think anytime a school is named after someone, it is our job, it's our responsibility, to ensure that students know why it was named after them and what that person embodies, and then to learn from that,' principal Leanne Moncrieff said. During the ceremony students talked about Woodall's life, shared poetry and music. They also heard from his friends and colleagues. 'This school is going to continue to have a legacy of students who are going to enter the community and make a difference, whatever they choose to do,' Chapdelaine said. Story continues below advertisement The school also presented its inaugural Legacy Award to a Grade 6 student who exemplifies Woodall's core values of safety, diversity, community and belonging. 'This award is really gonna help me remember Constable Daniel Woodall and my elementary years, when I go into middle school next year, and it's going to help keep on the legacy,' Legacy Award winner Maizie Stewart said. View image in full screen Maple tree planted in front of Constable Daniel Woodall School. Global News As a lasting symbol of Woodall's roots in the community, a maple tree will also be planted in front of the school. 'These things will continue to exist for people to have moments when they need them to remember Dan, remember the sacrifice he made on behalf of the community,' Chapdelaine said.
Global News
8 hours ago
- Global News
Man appeals sentence in London, Ont. Muslim family killing
The man convicted of murdering a Muslim family in London, Ont., is appealing his life sentence for an act deemed by a judge to be terrorism. Nathaniel Veltman is appealing his four convictions for first-degree murder and his conviction for attempted murder, for which he was sentenced in February 2024, according to court documents. His lawyer had already indicated he planned to file an appeal a couple of months after he was sentenced last year. Veltman was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years for hitting the Afzaal family with his truck in 2021 while they were out for a walk in London, Ont. Forty-six-year-old Salman Afzaal; his 44-year-old wife, Madiha Salman; their 15-year-old daughter, Yumna; and her 74-year-old grandmother, Talat Afzaal were killed in the attack. Story continues below advertisement The couple's nine-year-old child was hurt but survived. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Justice Renee Pomerance, who presided over the trial held in Windsor, Ont., ruled the murders committed by a self-described white nationalist were an act of terrorism. The case was the first time Canada's terrorism laws were put before a jury in a first-degree murder trial. Prosecutors had argued Veltman was a white supremacist with a plan to commit violence, while the defence argued his actions shouldn't be considered terrorism because he kept his beliefs to himself. But Pomerance rejected that argument, finding that Veltman only kept his beliefs private to avoid detection before he could carry out his plan. At a sentencing hearing in January, Veltman apologized for the pain he had caused but that apology was rejected by the victims' family members outside of court. The attack on June 6, 2021 shocked the country, with a memorial held in the city and attended by leaders from across Canada. On Friday, the four-year anniversary of the attack, Prime Minister Mark Carney remembered the victims. 'We mourn the loss today of… the Afzaal family, who four years ago this day in London were victims of a heinous act of terrorism,' Carney said. Story continues below advertisement 'Gatherings like today remind us all of those who are absent. Friends and family who once prayed beside us but who no longer can. And it's in these moments that we lean on our faith. A faith that carries us through the tough times. A faith that brings joy shining through the darkest clouds' — with files from The Canadian Press
