‘Major police operation' into Montreal restaurant extortion underway
The Montreal police (SPVM) arson squad is investigating after a window was smashed and bar set on fire on April 28, 2025. (Scott Prouse/CTV News)
A 'major police operation' is underway early Wednesday morning in Montreal, Châteauguay, on the South Shore, and Laval, on the North Shore, in relation to the alleged extortion of restaurant owners.
'Several arrests and searches are planned,' said Montreal police (SPVM), noting almost 100 officers are involved in the procedure. 'The operation...is the result of criminal investigations into extortion against restaurant owners.'
The operation is in collaboration with the southern region's firearms unit (EMAF) and the narcotics unit.
An update to the raids is expected later on in the day.
This comes after numerous restaurants in the Greater Montreal area have been targeted by alleged arsonists in the last few months.
READ MORE: Union of Quebec bar owners calls for tougher crackdown on organized crime and extortion
Additionally, the home of one of the co-founders of A5 Hospitality was targeted twice by gunshots.
The wave of fire bombings led Quebec Bar Owners Association President Peter Sergakis to pen an emphatic letter to the province, demanding that more be done to crack down on organized crime.
'Extortion has always always there, but not like this. This is extremely violent and it's totally unacceptable,' said Sergakis.
READ MORE: Police say recent string of violent crime at Montreal bars and restaurants is connected
Montreal police confirmed that there have been at least 20 extortion attempts against bars and restaurants since the beginning of the year.
'What we're seeing on the street, I cannot tell you exactly why, but they're related,' Organized Crime Squad Commander Francis Renaud told CTV News.
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Marucci was by far the biggest. Endy, a Canadian mattress company, was probably number two. I also got involved in a few pre-IPO and early-round opportunities. Some of them didn't work out – one was kind of like a WeWork concept that flopped, but we rolled that into something else that's doing okay now. Overall, I've probably done five or six, with about a 50-per-cent success rate, which feels lucky. What makes you say 'yes' to a brand or company now? For me, it has to serve a purpose, because I'm not just chasing returns. Giving back is a big one. Not harming the environment is another. I like companies that are thinking about the future, especially using technology to do things better or more efficiently. But even more than that, I want to work with good people who stick to their values. Because when things get tough – and they always do – you don't want to be involved with someone who's going to start cutting corners. 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